The Hoopa League
by The OG Pokemon Master
Summary: Who could decline a challenge from Arceus himself? Not Ash, that's for sure. So when Arceus approaches him alongside a Pokemon that he'd only seen once before to present him with the opportunity of a lifetime, he jumps headfirst into a series of islands inhabited only by Pokemon - powerful Pokemon - to create the greatest League that the world has ever seen: The Hoopa League.
1. Chapter One

No, my Chosen One had not been gifted with an easy journey.

* * *

 _"Charizard, why won't you listen to me? Please, use Flamethrower! Ember! Anything, please!"_

* * *

I made sure that he would be forged in the flames of defeat.

* * *

 _"CHARIZARD! USE FLAMETHROWER!"_

 _"BLAZIKEN! DRAGON RAGE!"_

 _Without any remorse, the Dragon Rage crashed through the Flamethrower and when the smoke cleared, it was clear that Charizard was down. He had lost._

* * *

Through trial after trial, he would come up short.

* * *

 _"Pikachu, use Iron Tail, FULL POWER!"_

 _"Meowth, match it!"_

 _When the smoke cleared, the results were evident. He had lost again._

* * *

But it would be worth it.

* * *

 _"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"_

 _"Pikachu, Electro-Ball!"_

 _The two Pokemon shot off their attacks and when the dust settled, it was clear that Pikachu was down for the count."_

* * *

Because eventually...

* * *

 _"Pikachu, VOLT TACKLE, MAXIMUM POWER!"_

 _"Latios, Luster Purge"_

 _..._

 _"AND WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT FOLKS! BOTH LATIOS AND PIKACHU ARE DOWN FOR THE COUNT! SO MOVING ONTO THE SINNOH LEAGUE FINALS IS... TOBIAS!"_

 _I was so close._

* * *

When he overcame the mountains that I refused to move,

* * *

 _"Lucario, Bone Rush!"_

 _"Pikachu no!"_

 _Another loss, perhaps his worst._

* * *

He'd be the very best,

* * *

 _"C'mon Pikachu, you can do it! We're so close to our dream! I believe in you!"_

 _"Gallade, you've got this! Just one more minute!"_

 _But it was not to be, because at that moment..._

* * *

Like no one ever was.

* * *

 _"UNBELIEVABLE! GALLADE FINALLY COLLAPSED! ASH KETCHUM WINS THE KALOS LEAGUE! ASH KETCHUM WINS THE KALOS LEAGUE!"_

 _He collapsed to his knees._

 _He had done it._

 _He had won._

* * *

But in that moment, when the Chosen One would see victory within his reach and claim it, he would become something greater.

 _He would become a legend._

* * *

If asked, Ash Ketchum would say that he had a good life. He was champion of the Orange League and the Battle Frontier, both of which remained undefeated after he went through them, he had competed in five leagues, ranking highly at each one, and then finally, in the Kalos League, his Pikachu won a stare-down with a Mega Gallade, earning him the Kiloude Cup. He had a team of strong Pokemon that loved him, and friends that would back him no matter what. So yeah, Ash would say that he lived a good life.

"Chu-Pika, Pikapi?" The yellow mouse that rode on his shoulder spoke, concerned black eyes looking into large amber ones.

"Haha, no, I was just thinking, Pikachu," Ash responded. After travelling with Pikachu for seven years, he understood the majority of what his starter had to say.

"Pika. Pikachu pi?"

"I was planning on just going back to Pallet like we usually do after a league. We'll chill there and train until something new pops up. You know how it is; something always does. That sound good to you?"

"Chu!" Pikachu agreed, nodding.

Currently Ash was walking through the forest that connected Kiloude city to Vaniville town. He was giving his Talonflame a break from all the hard work he had put in to earn Ash the cup, and plus sometimes it was just good to slow down and walk. Kalos was, after all, beautiful. Besides, he would be doing enough flying once he got to Lumiose Airport. Plus he was walking Serena back to her hometown one final time before they were forced to part ways.

"Ash, do you wanna stop and eat? It's about noon right now, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that I'm hungry," The self-proclaimed genius of their little group stated. His younger sister immediately agreed, giving Ash the Growlithe eyes.

Ash chuckled. "Haha, yeah. I think I see a clearing ahead. We can stop there and eat," Ash replied. In reply, a chorus of 'yes!' echoed throughout the woods.

Once they reached the clearing, Ash set up supplies for Brock's No-chew lazy boy stew, his all-time favorite. After getting the stew started, the group decided to let their Pokemon eat and have some fun as well. Pouring food into six bowls, Ash let out Greninja, Goodra, Talonflame, Hawlucha and Aegislash, and Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder. Serena called out her Delphox, Pangoro, Meowstic, Masquerain, Altaria and Azumarill, who all cheered at the prospective break. Clemont released his Luxray, Helioilisk, Manectric, Jolteon, Ampharos, and Lanturn, while Dedenne scrambled out of Bonnie's arms.

Soon, it was anarchy, with 19 different Pokemon and four humans chowing down on their food. Ash, being Ash, finished long before anyone else and sat back with a gleam in his eyes; he loved his Pokemon and friends more than anything. He laughed when his eyes drifted to Aegislash, as to eat he skewered, no, impaled his food before shoving his blade into his mouth (?) Ash didn't know what to call it.

His thoughts began to drift back to every Pokemon he had the ones he released. He thought about his Kalos team, easily the most powerful team he had, with Gogoat and Avalugg back at the lab for now. He frowned, realizing that he had been neglecting his other Pokemon, besides his Kalos team. Bulbasaur, for example, he hadn't seen for over a year now while he was in Kalos. He could've trained the little guy, but no, he wanted to emulate a new journey every time he left for a new region. It was then that determination shone in his eyes as he thought a single sentence: "Never again will I neglect anyone."

He started to plan how he would get his Pokemon back from the wild or other trainers and put everyone on a rotation schedule. But before he got too far, he was snapped out of his musing. Everyone and every Pokemon were looking at him, eyes wide and jaws agape. He was confused; did he have something on his face? Clemont saw his confusion and simply gestured to look behind him.

Slowly, he turned around; facing whatever had the entire group speechless. When he saw it, he too was speechless, save for one single word that crossed his mind.

* * *

"Shit."

Behind him, a golden portal, about the size of Clemont, was open and he could see through to a group of islands, much like the Orange Islands but not as tropical. Looking closer, he saw that one island had a volcano, another was freezing, and yet another seemed to be crackling with electricity. For the second time that day, Ash mentally cursed, thinking the islands to be Shamoulti.

He shuddered, remembering what had happened there the last time he was there. Almost getting murdered by the elemental birds of Kanto was not an experience he wanted to repeat, thank you very much. He hoped that he wouldn't have to encounter the trio anytime soon. Boy, was he wrong. He heard deep laughing, and a higher-pitched giggling from above the portal. Snapping himself out of his musing, he whipped his head up to where he heard the sounds. His eyes widened to approximately the size of Russia when he saw two figures that he hadn't seen since the fiasco in Desser City. He immediately looked around for Rayquaza, Groudon, Kyogre, Dialga, Palkia, Reshiram, Zekrom, Regigigas, Lugia, Latios, Latias, and Kuyrem, seeing as they were there the last time those two showed up. For those two Pokemon were none other than...

"Arceus?! Hoopa?! What are you doing here?" Ash screamed. He made a motion for his Pokemon to get ready to defend themselves in case an attack happened again. Arceus laughed, a deep, echoing sound that was almost melodious to hear.

 _"Do not worry, Chosen One. We seek no harm this time."_ Arecus spoke. Ash visibly sighed at this, and motioned for his Pokemon to stand down. Hoopa saw this and giggled.

 _"Yeah! But we ARE here to give you the opportunity of a lifetime!"_ Hoopa chimed in. Arceus nodded.

 _"Chosen one, we have been waiting for a long time. We wanted to give you this chance, but we didn't want you to be unprepared. So we decided to wait until after you won a league championship to offer you this chance."_ Ash perked up at the mention of a challenge, and stood up defiantly.

"A challenge? All right! I'm in!" His Pokemon all roared their agreement, "Clemont, Serena, Bonnie? You guys in?" But before they could even so much as nod, Arceus interrupted.

 _"Err-herm. Ah, you see, Ash, this is a challenge that none other than the Chosen One himself is allowed to witness or take part in."_ Ash sighed, looking to his friends. He was about to deny the offer when Serena suddenly spoke up.

"Ash, go follow your dreams. We understand. And you'd be _crazy_ to turn this offer down! I mean, the two most powerful legendries EVER have offered you an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You'd be INSANE not to take it!" Serena said, and her voice was unwavering and firm. Sure, she was sad that she couldn't see her crush for who knows how long, but he helped her with her dream. Shouldn't she help him with his? It was when Clemont and Bonnie chimed their agreement that Ash began to tear up. He spoke.

"You guys mean more to me than you can ever know. Thank you all so much for sticking with me through the ups and downs of this journey. I'll miss you, but as soon as this is over I'll be back again. Oh, and tell my mother that I'm gonna be a _bit_ late home from this one."

Arceus smiled at this exchange. _"Ash, are you ready? Everything you need will be provided for you when we get where we need to go."_ Ash nodded.

"Yeah. Let's do it." And with that, he recalled his Pokemon and stepped into the portal, nodding a final time to his friends.

"Well, uh, sooooo, what do we do now?" Clemont voiced after everyone got over what happened. Two shrugs met his query.

* * *

Ash was in unbelievable pain. It felt like his body was being squeezed and beaten from every angle. Looking down in his arms, he saw that Pikachu wasn't faring much better. This went on for about fifteen more seconds before Ash couldn't take it anymore, and his thoughts started drifting to how Hoopa did this all the time. When he had first met her, it had looked painless and fun, but now that he was experiencing it himself, he had second thoughts on the process.

Plus, he thought, when Hoopa did it, it looked like the process happened within the span of a millisecond. A stray thought passed his mind about time slowing down in the portals, but he quickly brushed it aside.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he saw the same image that he had seen when he first looked into the portal. Only this time, when he looked side to side, he saw that there were more than just the three islands. A quick breath of relief escaped his lips as he realized that the islands weren't Shamoulti. Suddenly, the image expanded, and everything went white.

When he regained his vision, he saw that he was a marble floor in the middle of a massive room. He looked to his side, expecting to see Pikachu, but instead, a purple demoness greeted him.

 _"Boo!"_ Said demoness yelled into his face. Ash let out a manly scream and shot to his feet. Suddenly, he heard two voices laughing. Turning around, he saw Arceus chuckling and Pikachu rolling around the floor in hysterics. The little traitor. When the two had gotten over 'his incredibly manly scream and incredibly manly facial expression' Arceus sheepishly spoke.

 _"Err-herm... It seems to have slipped my mind that inter-realm travel for the first time hurts. Also, you're a human... You're not really supposed to go through those. Sorry. We'll fix that real fast."_ Suddenly, Ash felt different. Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either. Just... _different_. Arceus noticed this and said _"And so it worked. You should be able to go through those portals with no problem now."_

Hoopa laughed, _"Which is good, because that's how you'll be travelling from now on."_ Ash noticeably paled at this, causing the three Pokemon to burst into another fit of laughter.

A couple minutes later, Ash, Hoopa, Arceus, and Pikachu (who resumed his position on Ash's shoulder) were getting a tour of what would apparently become his new house. It was big, but not to the point where it was overwhelming. So far, the kitchen was his favorite room. Arceus had enchanted it with a pantry and fridge that held whatever food Ash wanted and never ran out. Needless to say, the boy with the appetite of a Snorlax and the Pikachu with a ketchup addiction were ecstatic. After leaving the kitchen (read, _'After Hoopa opened a portal under the duo's feet into another room)_ , Ash saw what would become his bedroom.

It was on the second story of the building, and it overlooked what seemed to be a massive grassy field. The entire island that the mansion was on was completely surrounded by eighteen different islands, and, well, water.

He saw that three that he had seen earlier, with the volcano, electric terrain, and snow-capped mountain, and then, looking at the fifteen others, he saw that they all had distinct features. One had a jungle on the entire island, another had a mountain with no snow and another that Ash could see had what looked to be a massive opening in the ground. Yet another had a creepy old tower, much like what Ash pictured the Lavender Tower would look like after about 100 years of disrepair, and even another had what looked to be a swamp. Ash was broken from his time at the windowby Pikachu, who was gesturing for him to come onto the balcony. Ash did, and when he stepped out and looked down, he nearly passed out from shock. Because in that massive grassy field- which Ash now saw had a lake in the middle- was every single one of his Pokemon. All of them. Even the ones he had left with others or released, like Pidgeot, Lapras, Primape, Gliscor, and Lavaritar! Furthermore, he even saw Pokemon that he had helped over the years! Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over Ash and he looked up to be greeted by a flamethrower to the face.

"Well, it's good to see you too, Charizard..." Ash deadpanned, wiping the soot out of his face and hair.

Charizard grunted, probably his form of laughter, and motioned for Ash to get onto his back. Ash complied, and Charizard immediately shot into the air. But it was only brief, as Charizard was heading straight towards the middle of the field. As soon as he landed, he was crushed by his many Pokémon and their odd ways of showing affection. Toxic hugs, body slams, flamethrowers, tackles, and nuzzling against him, Ash could barely stand up thanks to his Pokémon, no, family. Again, he heard the now-familiar chuckle of Arceus coupled with the higher-pitched giggle of Hoopa. This caused his Pokémon to stop, some shuddering at Hoopa's laughter. 'They were probably brought here by Hoopa' he mused.

But then, Arceus began a speech.

 _"You might want to sit down, Chosen One, because this is going to be a long talk. Like I said earlier today, we legendries waited for you to win a League Championship to allow you to take part in this."_

His Pokémon roared at the mention of the win, but quieted down when Arceus started again.

 _"...but we never explained what 'this' is. So here it is. I'm guessing you already saw the eighteen islands, right?"_

Ash nodded in conformation, _"Well, on each of those islands reside the most powerful Pokemon of their type. I'm sure you noticed that every island was different, right?"_

Another nod, _"Well, each island represents a certain type of Pokemon. On that island, every Pokemon you see is fair game to catch,"_

A grin started to appear on Ash's face at the mention of this Safari-Zone like catching spree he could go on.

 _"However,"_ Ash's grin started to falter, _"Each of these Pokémon is capable of single-handedly taking down Brandon."_ Ash's jaw dropped at this. Just what kind of Pokemon were they?! _"Also, there are legendaries on each island, and, well, they're fair game too, if you can manage to capture them."_

If Ash's jaw could drop any lower, it would've. His Pokemon were all similarly stunned, save for Charizard, Infernape, Sceptile, and Goodra sharing a four-way high five in the back of the group. _"So what I'm saying is, train the hell up. You have four weeks before your first island. Use them well."_ And with that, Arceus and Hoopa walked through a portal.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Ash spoke.

"Guys, we'd better get our stuff together. We've got one _heck_ of a challenge here."

Over seventy roars met his cry.

Over the next four weeks, Ash and his team trained themselves into the ground. Every Pokemon that could evolve did at least once, and if they weren't fully evolved, they were close. It had seemed that Arceus had said _something_ to his Pokemon to get them to change their minds on the whole 'not-evolving thing,' and to be quite frank, Ash was pretty happy about it.

Heck, even Bulbasaur had evolved into Ivysaur and was really close to evolving _again_! So, finally, at the end of the four weeks, Ash and his group of Pokemon were discussing which island they should choose, if they had a choice about it. Ash looked at his team, and then thought about the type-matchups. He only had one Pokemon that chad an advantage over Fairy Types, which had advantages over most types. (Seriously, they're like the Gen 1 Psychic types of Gen 6.) However, he had a few _really_ powerful Fire types, and a couple Ground Types… And both of those types had an advantage over Steel… Which then had an advantage over Fairies… And suddenly, he knew where he was going. He bolted to his feet, startling most of his Pokemon and proclaimed,

"I've got it! We're heading to the Steel Island first!" His Pokemon all cheered.

"But, most of you are staying here."

Less cheers at that one. He continued,

"Alrighty! I need Torkoal, Infernape, Charizard, Typhlosion, Emboar, Gigalith, Krookodile, and Donphan on me asap." The aforementioned Pokemon cheered, scrambling over to him. The rest of the Pokemon looked a little dejected, so Ash continued.

"Hey, don't be bummed! Each one of you will get a chance to battle. I'm giving _everyone_ a chance here; if you have a type advantage over a certain type, you're coming. I know I never cared much about type matchups before, but now we can't afford to screw around. Got it?" His Pokemon all perked up at his little speech, some giving roars to show their enthusiasm. Ash spoke one last time.

"Oh, one last thing. Just because I'm gone, that's not an excuse to stop training, right?" The Pokemon staying behind let out an indignant cheer.

" _Well, it seems you have figured everything out,"_

Arceus said, scaring the crap out of Ash and his Pokemon, most of whom had their backs to him. _"So, what island did you choose?"_ Hoopa inquired. Ash spoke, exited now that their first adventure was within reach now.

"Well, I think the choice is an easy one. I choose… Steel Island! Registeel and Dialga, watch out, because here I co-"

Before he could finish, however, he found himself face-down on the floor of what looked like a factory, with the faint laughter of Hoopa in the background.

"Damn genies," Ash muttered. Getting to his feet, Ash looked around. He saw that his initial guess of the place being a factory was correct. Lining the walls were old, broken-down machines and gears. Broken wires were everywhere and Ash could see a couple Magneton sucking the power out of the cables.

Turning slowly, Ash could see four doors. Three of them were open, and one of them had dots above it and was closed. Ash figured that that was where Registeel was. But to be honest, Ash didn't really know what he was supposed to do. He knew that he was supposed to beat-and catch- the steel legendaries, all the while catching any Pokemon he wanted, but other than that, he wasn't sure what to do. So he walked through a door.

He had a bunch of Pokemon in mind that he wanted to find and catch. Empoleon, Bisharp, Exadrill, Probopass, Magnezone, Bastidon, if the factory had any, and Skarmory. Suddenly he tripped over something. Looking down, he saw a bracelet with a stone inside. He flashed back to the Kalos League, when he saw that specific item last.

* * *

Flashback

 _"Alright! Gallade, ready to take this battle to the next level?" His opponent asked. Ash was confused, they were already pushing him near to his limits. Were they not using their full power? Gallade nodded, and suddenly his opponent thrusted his arm into the air and said, "Alright! Gallade, lets Mega Evolve!" Ash thought the guy was insane until Gallade erupted into a bright pink light, forcing Ash to look away. When he looked back, he saw a whole new Gallade. His opponent smirked, "Alright! Lets ROCK THIS!"_

 _Mega Gallade, or whatever it was called, then took out two of his Pokemon before Pikachu finally overcame it._

Flashback End

* * *

Was this one of the bracelets that allowed Pokemon to Mega Evolve? Pikachu nudged him. "Huh?" The mouse held his paws out, revealing a note. Ash read aloud _, "Ash, this is a Mega Bracelet. I'm sure you've seen a couple in action, but you never got a chance to try one yourself. This bracelet allows compatible Pokemon to evolve into a stage that is near legendary level."_ His jaw dropped _, "All you need is a bond with the Pokemon and a Mega Stone, which I have not included. If, by any chance, you catch a Pokemon that can Mega-Evolve here, they will be holding their stone when you let them out of their Pokeball. I have also included a list, organized by type, of the Pokemon that can do this. Good Luck! By the way, you missed a legendary that happens to be steel type..."_ Ash finished. 'Hmm. I know Registeel and Dialga, but another? Heatran maybe? Coballion? Mayb-"

He was cut off by the sound of giggling.

 _Jirachi._

When Ash turned around again, he found himself face-to-face with a giant hunk of steel. That moved. Slowly looking up, Ash saw the face of a massive Steelix staring back down at him. "Arceus, Steelix! You about gave me a heart attack! Anyway, I challenge you to a battle!" But before Ash could even pull a Pokeball out, Steelix was gone. In its place was a massive hole. Ash sweat-dropped. "Uh, don't attack yet... I have yet to release a Pokemon..." He heard a faint roar. "Umm, alrighty then. Charizard, I choose you! Steelix, its fair game now!" He said, bolting to the side of the room.

Suddenly, a Stone Edge burst through the ground where Charizard was standing, scoring a direct hit. Charizard roared in surprise and flew up into the sky. "Charizard! Flamethrower into the hole!" Still in the air, Charizard complied, sending a massive flamethrower into the hole that Steelix dug. Somewhere deep in the earth, Ash heard a roar.

Suddenly, the ground started rumbling and Steelix popped out, spinning in a Gyro Ball. "Charizard! Dodge left!" Charizard bolted to his left, narrowly missing him. "Fire Blast!" Out of Charizard's maw, a massive kanji-shaped blast of fire erupted, exploding against Steelix's side. The Iron Snake Pokemon roared, diving back down into its tunnel. A couple seconds later, Ash heard a sizzling noise. 'That smart bastard! He's got water down there!" He thought.

Then aloud, "Alright! Charizard, we need to get that water out of there. Launch a Blast Burn into the hole!" The Fire Lizard complied, charging a massive ball of fire in his mouth. A few moments later, the fireball shot from the dragon's maw and flew down the hole. A couple minutes later, Ash heard a louder sizzling noise, like water dropped onto hot cement, and an earsplitting roar. Ash smiled.

"Thanks Charizard, you did awesome. Return."

He recalled the lizard and grabbed another Pokeball. "Alright! Krookodile, I choose you!" The bipedal crocodile busted from its ball, red shades in hand. (He seemed to be good friends with Blastoise...) "Dig! Then bombard Steelix with Fire Punches until he faints!" The 'dile nodded and started to dig a hole. Ash sweatdropped, "Uh, you _could_ just use Steelix's hole." In response he got a mound of dirt to the face. He waited about five minutes before lobbing an Ultra Ball into the hole. Another five minutes later, Krookodile emerged from the hole, beaten and battered, But holding an Ultra Ball in his claws.

"Alright! I caught a... Steelix!"

"Pika!"

* * *

But their celebration was short-lived. Again, they heard the giggling. Ash pocketed the Ultra Ball, deciding to truly meet Steelix later, and looked around for the owner of the giggles. However, even after turning a full 360 and looking every angle, Ash couldn't see Jirachi.

Suddenly, Ash felt his hat being lifted off of his head. He instinctively grabbed for it, catching the hat in a vice grip and not letting go. However, looking up, he saw that it wasn't Jirachi who had the hat.

Well... It _was,_ technically. It was her Psychic attack. Ash and Pikachu found themselves ten feet in the air, holding on to Ash's hat. They were slowly making their way through the maze of a factory, while getting odd looks from the residential Pokemon. Finally, after dodging some weak rocks thrown by some playful Nosepass, the hat finally descended into a large hole in the ground. The hole, which started at about ten feet wide, got narrower and darker until Ash could barely fit and couldn't see PIkachu on his shoulder. But he could hear him _juuuust fine._

The little mouse was screaming his head off, making cries of 'Pikapi Chu!' and 'Pikaaaaaa!' echo through the area. Ash couldn't blame him though. The little guy was completely out of its comfort zone.

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up into a massive arena. Once again, Ash could tell that it was a Steel themed island. Lining the massive arena- the battlefield was easily 200 by 200 yards- Were steel beams and floodlights. Looking behind those, Ash saw both metal and stone bleachers that housed hundreds upon hundreds of steel type Pokemon, all exited for the battle to come. Scattered across the field were upright steel beams, giving the battle arena a look similar to Spear Pillar on top of Sinnoh's Mount Coronet.

Suddenly, Ash was dropped into the middle of the field, right in the middle of a Pokeball design on the ground made of more steel beams. He landed in a crumbled heap, much to the amusement of the surrounding Pokemon. His hat drifted onto his head, causing even more of an uproar with the Steely Pokemon. He slowly got up. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Ash grumbled, causing the entire arena to burst into unconstrained laughter Ash realized with no small amount of bitterness that his voice was being projected. Suddenly, Jirachi descended from the ceiling. She spoke,

 _"Hey Ash! Its good to see you again!"_ At this Ash was understandably confused. Didn't Jirachi go into a slumber for 1000 years? And did he know this Jirachi? Said legendary giggled.

 _"Yep! You know me! Just like you know most of the legendaries here! And before you ask, I'm psychic. You're an open book to me. Well, since I'm the first legendary you encountered, I have to give a little shpeal from Arceus. Ahem. 'Good job Ash! I knew you could do it. Now, on every island, there are at least two legendaries, unless there are not enough legendaries that fit the type criteria. Now, most legendaries you'll have to fight. Some, however, you have already proven yourself worthy to and will come with you willingly. Even others you HAVE proven yourself to them, but you still will have to battle them, just because some legendaries are like your Charizard."_

Ash visibly paled. Jirachi continued, _"...Good luck to you, and may you finally 'Catch Them All.' Well, thats that! As for me, I fall into the second category. So if you would do the honors? Oh! One last thing. Do you have a Luxury Ball?"_

He didn't.

He about cried.

So close to catching a legendary and he was stopped by the trivial fact that he **didn't have a f*cking Luxury Ball.**

But before he could say anything, Jirachi hit herself with one of her ribbons. _"Oh! Silly me! I forgot to give you this!"_ She levitated Ash a brown burlap bag, no bigger than a volleyball.

 _"Here! This is a maaaaagicall baaaaaggg! Just think of any Pokeball, and it will appear! Cool, huh!"_ Ash was floored. A magical bag? _ANY_ Pokeball?! He was about to burst from excitement, and would've if Jirachi hadn't slapped him with a ribbon. _"Did you hear a word I just said?!"_ She sighed, _"Why do I even bother... Capture me, you dimwit!"_ Ash complied, reaching into the bag and thinking two words: 'Luxury Ball'

Suddenly, his hand closed over a circular object. Pulling it out, he was a little shocked to see that the bag worked. For in his hand was a sleek, metallic Luxury Ball. Without any hesitation Jirachi floated over and smacked the button on the middle of the ball. The ball didn't even shake, signifying an instant capture. Ash gaped.

"A-Alright! I caught... A Jirachi!"

"Pika!"

Most of the steel types watching cheered as well.

* * *

Suddenly, he heard a deep, rumbling chuckle. A voice boomed over the stadium and the lights dimmed.

 _"Congratulations. But don't expect_ _ **me**_ _be that easy. Get ready, Chosen One! I'm coming for you with everything I've got!"_

In response Ash palmed one of his pokeballs. Grinning, he tossed the sphere upwards. In a burst of red light, Infernape appeared, roaring his arrival. In response, Ash saw the dark silhouette jump almost as high as the roof of the cavern and then slam into the ground with such force that every stone pillar crumbled. The quake also knocked Infernape and Ash off of their feet, sending the duo to the ground.

Suddenly, Ash found himself on a raised platform on the edge of the field. The lights cut back on, allowing Ash his first real look at the colossal creature. Standing at over eight feet, the Iron Pokemon towered over the one that Brandon owned. Suddenly, the metal Pokeball design at the middle of the arena burst into blinding red light, forcing Ash to look away. When he looked back, he saw that the design had transformed into the same design Registeel had on its face.

 _"Now_ _ **that's**_ _more like it! Lets get this show on the road, eh?"_

Then, with blinding speed that the legendary should not have possessed due to it being made of steel and the fact that its feet were stubbs. Closing the large gap between itself and Infernape in a matter of seconds, Registeel suddenly cocked one of its fists back and slammed it into Infernape with enough force to send him flying into a wall and crack it. Ash was dumbfounded. The Regi didn't even use an _attack_! It just _punched_ Infernape and knocked it out! Was this truly the power of a legendary? Registeel yawned.

 _"Booring. Am I going to get a real challenge today, or are you going to get it together and suprise me?"_

Ash scowled. It wanted a challenge? Well Ash would damn well give one to it. Reaching down into his backpack, Ash grabbed not one, not two, but every Pokeball he had on him- save Jirachi- and threw them towards the arena. Twenty Pokemon burst into existence, filling the chamber with fierce roars. Ash smirked.

"Everyone use your most powerful attacks! Hit him hard!" 3 Blast Burns, Iron Heads, Stone Edges, Earthquakes, and various other attacks rocked the arena, combining and creating a massive explosion that obscured everything from Ash's view. When the dust faded, Ash's jaw dropped. There, in the center of the explosion, was Registeel, chuckling softly.

 _"Now now now. You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that to defeat me."_ He sounded unfazed, but Ash could see that so many powerful attacks had taken their toll on the iron beast. Then, in the blink of an eye, Torkoal, Emboar, Exadrill, Bastidon, Bronzong and Probopass were down. Ash cursed under his breath, cursing again as he was reminded that his words were broadcast around the entire arena.

To be honest, Ash was scared. He couldn't do anything against the legendary, who was currently leaning against one of the demolished metal pillars, casually waiting for Ash to make a move. If it had a mouth Ash knew it would be smirking. He had lost all hope until he remembered Arceus' gift to him when he had first arrived.

* * *

Flashback_

 _Looking down, he saw what had caused him to stumble. A bracelet, almost exactly the same width as his forearm, was lying on the ground with a note attached to what seemed to be a stone in the middle of the band. Ash skimmed over the note, pausing at the part that explained how to use the bracelet. 'Alright. Look at the Pokemon you want to Mega Evolve, and if they're compatible and holding their stone, press the stone on your bracelet down and they will Mega Evolve.' Ash thought. Easy enough. He kept reading. 'Be warned, however, that only one Pokemon can undergo this process during any given battle due to League rules._

Flashback End_

* * *

Now, all he had to do was pick which Pokemon would work best against Steelix. He ultimately picked Metagross, because her psychic powers could give them the upper hand in the battle. However, before he Mega Evolved her, though, he had a thought.'If League rules don't apply here... Well... If this works,' he thought,' we might just win this battle.'

He spoke aloud, "Guys! Get ready! This could be epic!" Then he thrust his wrist up. Pressing the stone on his bracelet in, six of the twenty Pokemon erupted into a bright, pink light. Ash grinned like a madman. Not even bothering to contain his excitement, he yelled two words:

"MEGA EVOLVE!"

* * *

 **Anywho, heres a list of the Pokemon Ash captured when we weren't looking in this chapter: Scizor, Mawile, Steelix (Duh) Metagross, Aggron, Bronzong, Empoleon, Bisharp, Magnezone, Probopass, Exadrill, Bastidon, and Lucario.**

 **Also, I know Nosepass isn't a steel type. However, Probopass** _ **is.**_

 **Peace!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Hey! Uh, this'll probably be short, but I needed a pre-chapter A.N. to address some an issue in the last chapter. Its minor, but in the last paragraph, I called Registeel Steelix. Whoops! ]**

Registeel didn't pale. It didn't even blink. But thats only because it didn't have a face. However, the red lights on the indented part of its body dimmed considerably. Ash smirked at this. He decided to capitalize on Registeel's fear to hit him hard and fast. To do this, Ash yelled one word: "Attack!"

Instantly, twenty Pokemon sprang into action, knowing that Ash wanted nothing short of their most powerful attacks. This had a far greater effect than the last time they had attacked. An explosion greater than Ash had ever seen before enveloped the arena, threatening to collapse the battlefield if it had not been for the quick thinking of hundreds of Metagross, Metang and Beldum speactating the match. When the smoke finally cleared, courtesy of some Skarmorys' Defog, a massive crater was revealed. Ash couldn't see the bottom, nor Registeel, so he let out a sigh of relief. He'd done it. Registeel had fallen.

Or so he thought. He was broken from his musings by Mega Scizor, who was screeching and frantically gesturing to the put before flying near the top of the arena. The other Pokemon that could fly mimiked her actions. Ash was confused until he heard the feminine voice of Metagross, who spoke into his mind, _"Ash, theres a hole,"_ She telepathed. Ash held back a snort. Of _course_ there was a hole! Twenty immensely powerful attacks were all shot at the same place at the same time! There was going to be a hole. Metagross sensed this and exasperatedly retorted, _"No, Ash, thats not what I-"_ She was cut off by a roar. Ash paled, instantly recognizing that roar. It was Charizard.

"Charizard! Whats happening?" He looked around the battlefield. Charizard was gone. Suddenly, another roar, more powerful than the first, bellowed throughout the arena, causing even the toughest Pokemon to cringe. However, it was almost immediately silenced. Nothing moved for about a minute. Suddenly, Charizard's limp body was thrown towards him from the ground. It landed right in front of the trainers' box. Totally unconsious. If Ash could've possibly paled more, he would've at the thought that Registeel had not only taken those attacks, but had taken Charizard down in the process, all while recieving damage from when Charizard probably attacked him when he was taken. Pulling out the lizard's ball, Charizard was returned to stasis. Ash was pretty scared at this point. It took a lot to take Charizard out. Heck, even before the four-week training period, the pesudo-dragon was still insanely powerful, to the point where he had taken out three of Gary's Pokemon during the Silver Conference! Ash shook his head, snapping himself out of it, and acted instantly after re-hooking the sphere to his belt. Grabbing his last Pokeball, Ash threw it, and gave one command to everyone:

"Find it."

Chaos followed, with twenty Pokemon scrambling to find Registeel. Ash didn't pay them any mind, however, and turned to the Pokemon he had released. Jirachi stared back at him. Ash spoke first, "Jirachi, when someone finds Registeel, I need you to use Psychic to hold him in place. Do you know Disable?" The Wish Pokemon nodded. "Good. Use that too to keep him from defending."

Suddenly, he heard Gigalith roar. He saw that rock-type spring from a tunnel that he had presumably dug in looking for Registeel, and from the angry roar that followed, Ash presumed he had been successful. Suddenly, Registeel burst from the hole mere seconds after Gigalith, but found himself trapped in the psychic grip of Jirachi, who had used both Psychic and Disable. Ash used this time to assess Registeel's situation. Upon first glance, the goliath had taken massive damage. The Iron Pokemon had scorch marks from fire attacks, dents and chinks from rock-type attacks, and even an area that was tingling slightly from Pikachu's Thunder attack. He smiled at that last one. Looking at his regrouping Pokemon, he saw that most of them weren't faring much better. All the Megas looked relitively okay due to the energy renewal given to them by Mega Evolving, but the others looked worn out. He looked over at his remaining fire starters, addressing them, "You three, Blast Burn him until he faints. Metagross," he said, addressing his other psychic, "Use Psychic to hold him in place. Feel free to send some Thunder Waves and Flamethrowers at him if you wish." Upon hearing Metagross' happy roar, he figured that she would be only too happy to oblidge. The mentioned Pokemon lined up in their positions around Registeel and looked back at Ash, waiting for a signal. He'd give one, but only after giving instructions to the remainder of his team. "The rest of you guys, use any long-range fire attacks you have. Just don't try and get physical, or you'll get badly hurt." The rest of his Pokemon nodded. Ash finally nodded.

"Now!"

Like they'd done twice previously, ninteen Pokemon unleashed their most powerful attacks towards the iron giant. This time, however, Registeel didn't have Protect or Dig to get him out of it. After the Pokemon had been firing for around a minute, Ash finally called them off. When the dust faded, he finally was able to breathe normally. Standing there, limp, but still in the confines of Jirachi and Metagross' Psychic, was an unconsious Registeel. Suddenly Ash found himself being leviated down to the arena floor, about three feet away from Registeel. Basking one last time in the image of the legandary that _his team_ had defeated, he pulled out an Ultra Ball and tossed it. The ball connected, not even shaking before it dinged.

Ash stared for about two minutes at the Pokeball, before he was shoved in the shoulder by Emboar, who was standing their with an amused look on his face. The arena erupted in to laughted once more, but silenced when Ash picked up the Ultra Ball containing the legendary. He noticed that Pikachu had hopped onto his shoulder, but he didn't care. He simply raised his arm as high at it could go, and bellowed,

"Alright! I caught... A Registeel!"

"Pik-" Ash looked up at his shoulder to see why Pikachu had stopped his celebration. Glancing at him, Ash wanted to cry. Why? Pikachu had stopped because he was completely frozen. It wasn't a psychic, as the telltale pink glow wasn't there, but he was frozen nonetheless. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he turned to look at his other teammates. His suspicion was confirmed, as all of his teammates were in the same position as Pikachu- completely frozen, as if time had just stopped. His eyes widened. Time. There were two Pokemon that he knew of that could manipulate time. Celebi and Dialga, both of whom he had met. Celebi when he was helping Sammy back in time, and Dialga when he was threatening to destroy the Earth during his duel with Palkia. He figured it wasn't Celebi for two reasons: one, Celebi did not have control over the flow of time; she could simply bridge the space-time continuim, and two, she was a dual Grass-Psychic type. This was Steel Island. Dialga, on the other hand, fit almost perfectly. Ash knew he had control over time, but was he a Steel-Type? The trainer certainly didn't think so. He scoffed. 'Whats next? Palika being part Water? Please.' He thought. Wait. He mentally slapped himself. He knew that! Dialga _was_ a Steel-Type. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting what he had known just the day before. 

_"You know, I'm actually surprised. I didn't think you'd be able to make it past Registeel. No other Chosen One has ever made it past the sub-boss of an island on their first try before. So congrats. Unfortunately, that's over. I could crush your entire team right now, with minimal effort, but that'd just be unfair. So here. They're all healed. I'll unfreeze time in a second, but before I do, be warned. Some Legendaries are on a_ _ **completely**_ _different level than most others. Like Lugia and Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno. You've seen for yourself how powerful these Alpha-Legendaries are."_ Ash frowned in confusion. Alpha Legendaries? What are those? He voiced his query to Dialga who answered, _"Ah. I'd assumed Arceus had explained the ranks to you. He must've not thought that you would make it this far on your first try. Once again, I must commerate you on this achievement. Back to the point, however, there are three ranks to Legendaries. Omega-Ranks, such as Manaphy, Shaymin, Rotom, Jirachi, and Phione, are the weakest of the legendaries. Thats not to say that they are weak, they are still immensely powerful in their own rights. However, they are not even comparable to Delta-Ranks, such as the Kanto Birds, the dog trio, the Eon duo, and Deoxys, who each are the Queens of their elements, if I were to compare them to cards. Back to the Omegas, they'd be a Jack in cards. Just for comparison, nintey-nine percent of Pokemon on your Earth would be twos to fives on the card scale."_ Again, Ash frowned. If Pokemon on his Earth, and his Pokemon by proxy, were not even able to obtain a fragment of the power legendaries wielded, how come he had beat a Regice, Articuno, Latios, and Darkrai in combat? He asked this to Dialga, who answered.

 _"Ah. Tobias, Brandon, and Noland. Three exceptionally powerful trainers, with exceptionally powerful Pokemon that fight for them. However, no trainer can even use a figment of the power a Legendary holds. The trainers hold them back. I know what you're thinking, and no, you won't hold them back. Arceus decreed many millinium ago that if a trainer were to ever capture a legendary Pokemon, the legendary's power would be unaccessable. This was to prevent ordinary trainers from going power-crazy and taking over the world. You, however, are the Chosen One. You and only you can wield the power Legendaries have to offer. But I digress. There is one more rank of Legendaries. The Alpha-Ranks are the most powerful beings in existence, topped only by Arceus, who is in a rank of his own. Literally. He is the only Pokemon in the 'Arceus-Rank'. Anyway, Pokemon like Ho-oh, Lugia, the Weather Trio, Xerneas, Mew, Mewtwo, and I all belong in that rank. We are the aces, if we are still using the card analogy. No other Pokemon can even hold a candle to our power. But you can. You're just going to need a lot more training. Now, sorry for ranting_ **(Huh. Sounds like my A.N's...)** _. Let us begin this slaughter_."

And a slaughter it was. Instantly, every Pokemon on the battlefield was put into motion, all startled by the sudden appearance of Dialga. On a hunch, Ash released the Pokemon that had fainted, and was pleased to see that they had been revived as well. Ash knew he had to react quickly, so he could get hits in before Dialga was truly ready. Ash nodded to himself, and yelled.

"Attack! Rush in and get as many hits in as you can and then get back here before he can retaliate!" His Pokemon, trusting him, began charging towards Dialga. Charging towards their doom. When the Pokemon were halfway there, Dialga let loose with the fury of a thousand years. The Roar of Time attack was so devestating that it left dust billowing in the arena for ten minutes. Not even the Skarmorys' Defog could make a dent in it. Finally, after fifteen minutes, the dust cleared and Ash's jaw dropped. For with one strike, every single Pokemon on his team, including the Legendaries, was unconsious. Ash made eye contact with Dialga once more before the Being of Time turned around and walked away.

Before he could even move, blinding light enveloped him, accompanied by some moderate pain, and forced the boy to his knees. He could tell he was warping somewhere, but before he was truly gone, he heard one last phrase.

 _"Train harder."_

When Ash came to he was laying in his bed. He shot up, causing a weight on his chest that he hadn't even noticed to fly off. A sharp 'Pika!' of annoyance clued Ash in on who the weight was. At this, he smiled until the memories of battling Dialga caught up with him. He thought back on how reckless he was. Having every Pokemon he had on him rush Dialga might've been one of the stupidest mistakes he'd ever made in his career as a Trainer. With that in mind, he went to find the rest of his Pokemon. 

XXTIMESKIPXX

When he walked out to the training field, thinking about the conversation he had just had with Arceus, who was waiting for him outside of his room. The Alpha Pokemon had said sorry for his loss, which he shrugged off, and then offered Ash some help. He said that he would take three Pokemon that Ash picks and train them to become leaders, both in power and in wisdom, so that those three could help Ash help the rest of his team. Ash was elated, instantly accepting the offer. He was snapped out of his thoughts by each of his Pokemon, who, as per usual, 'greeted' him. Muk gave him a hug, Meganium Body-Slammed him, Charizard spat fire into his face, and so on. After prying Gabite off of his head, he turned to address his team.

"Guys, I'm sorry. Especially to you who were with me on Steel Island. I made far too many mistakes to be considered okay. I failed you." There was an instant uproar of denials, but Ash was quick to hush it. He smiled at his team's dedication before continuing, "However, that will _not_ happen again. It was a mistake to challenge Dialga, one that I will not make again. When I was on the island, Dialga explained some things to me. He explained the classification system of Legendary Pokemon, and ranked them in their power. He told me that there were three ranks, the Omegas, Deltas, and Alphas, growing from least powerful- Omega- to most powerful-Alpha. Until each of you can take down a Delta-Rank individually, we're not challenging Alpha-Ranks. Just so you know, Arceus offered something." This perked his Pokemon up. The vetrans were a bit hesitant, remembering the other times legendaries had 'offered' them something, but shrugged it off when Ash continued, "He offered to train three of you. So, I've chosen three based on who I think could benefit the most and who could become a great leader for this team. So would Charizard, Ivysaur, and Pikachu please step forward?"

The three Pokemon walked over to Ash from the crowd- Pikachu had hopped off of Ash and walked over there when he first arrived. Ash looked at the three Pokemon and smiled. He had chosen them because they each had qualities that would benefit his team. He had chosen Charizard not because of his immense power, but because Ash figured that the wisdom he would gain from training with Arceus would benefit him greatly. Ash had chosen Ivysaur for the opposite reason. The diplomat never had an abundance of power, but showed time and time again that he was rich in wisdom. Ash figured that, unlike Charizard, Ivysaur would benefit from the power aspect more. Pikachu was rather obvious. He was his starter and the natural leader of the team. He had power- Ash was left speechless time and time again at the amount of power that the mouse had at his disposal- and wisdom, as he was the team captain, even over Pokemon who were more powerful than him. But, he was like a Jack in both of those trades. Pikachu would benefit from both the power and wisdom aspects of the training. He spoke, addressing the chosen Pokemon.

"Well guys, do you accept?" He already knew their answers. His team would go to the ends of the earth for Ash and Ash loved them for that. But still, Ash gave them the choice. After Charizard scoffed, as if asking 'are you serious' and Pikachu and Ivysaur nodded, Ash said, "Thanks guys. I know you'll have fun and come back stronger than you left. I'm not sure when Arceus will start your training, nor do I know where it will take place. Don't think that I'm trying to get rid of you. I love you guys more than anything- I'd die for you if I had to- but I think you guys will benefit the most." The three Pokemon nodded, and then suddenly disappeared.

Startled, Ash fell backwards onto his butt. Climbing up amoungst the chuckles of his Pokemon, Ash started talking to them too. "I know you might be disappointed about not being chosen- ahem Sceptile ahem-" Mentioned Pokemon glared at him, "But I thought that those three would be the best to recieve it. Besides, you are _all_ going to recieve that same training when those three get back, so perk up! Besides, we're heading to Poison Island soon!"

 _"It's called Toxic Island. Not poison island, dummy. And are you heading there now, or after training for a while?"_

To his credit, Ash didn't even blink at the sudden voice behind him. He simply turned around and said, "Hey Hoopa. Uh, yeah, we're gonna train for a while before we head to Poison Island. I'll have Jirachi call you when we're ready. It'll probably be in about three weeks. Hoopa nodded, although Ash could tell that she was disappointed about her scare tactics not working this time. _"Alrighty then! I'll see you then."_ With that, she dashed into a portal that opened right over Ash's head.

Well guys, we've got some training to do.

XXTIMESKIPXX

It was three weeks in, during a very hands-on training session with his water-types that Ash heard about something cool about the lake in the middle of the field. According to Jirachi, who had become something of a translator, the water Pokemon had started to notice underwater tunnels leading to what seemed to be different areas of the house that surrounded the field.

"Really? Wish I had some scuba gear..." Ash mused. Before anyone could say anything else, though, a scuba mask- manufactured by Devon Corp.- fell out of a portal and onto Ash's head. But before Ash could shout anything back to Hoopa, the portal closed, leaving behind the lingering giggles of Hoopa. Ash rolled his eyes, but was greatful nonetheless. He suddenly perked up, a mischevious smile on his face. "Man," he said, "I really wish I had a Master Ball..." Ash's smile widened when another portal opened up, this time smaller, right in front of his face. However, the smile was wiped off of his face when a jet of ice-cold water came shooting out of the portal, scoring a direct hit on the trainer's face. The force behind the water and the surprise from the attack send Ash sprawling down to the ground yet again. The now-familliar laughter of Hoopa echoed throughout the area, making Ash cry anime-tears.

A few minutes later, Ash was standing on the side of the lake with the scuba mask on, next to Empoleon, who would be the one to drag him around. Looking at each other and nodding, the duo nodded and jumped into the lake. Once underwater, Ash looked around. From the surface, he could see coral reefs and the water was crystal clear, but now, being underwater, everything was so much more beautiful. He could see colonies of Corsola and Mantyke swimming near the reefs, and everything eas washed in a beautiful shade of teal. Suddenly, he saw Empoleon a few meters away gesturing to his back. Ash nodded and swam over, grabbing Empoleon's crown and shooting a thumbs-up to the water-type. The two shot off into the depths, until they came to the bottom. Gathering his bearings, Ash looked around. He was a little bit surprised when he saw ninteen tunnels on the sides, like spokes of a wheel, but shrugged it off. He looked again. Seventeen of the tunnels were blocked off by a sheet of metal. Swimming away from Empoleon, he swam to the nearest open tunnel and went in. After a few feet he saw Empoleon swim to his side and slow down to Ash's pace. Grateful, Ash nodded to the water starter, who nodded back. After a while, Ash noticed the tunnel suddenly shoot up. Grabbing Empoleon once more, the two shot up to the surface.

When they broke the surface, both Ash and Empoleon had to do a double take at where they were. They were in a fountain. Climbing out, Ash saw that this wasn't a random fountain. This was the fountain in the entryway of his home! Ash was dumbfounded. Did that mean that the other tunnels led to other fountains? Ash jumped back in, determined to find out.

When the duo got back to the tunnel area, Ash took a closer look at the tunnels. He noticed that above each one, there was a pane of glass with things inside. Looking into the tank above the tunnel that he had just come from, he saw a pile of... 'Really?' He thought.

"Ash?"

Groaning, he looked into the other tanks. One was filled with grass, another was ablaze with fire, one had dark water in it, another metal, and so on. On a hunch, Ash gestured towards the one with the metal in the tank, causing Empoleon to nod. Ash grabbed Empoleon's crown again and the two shot off into the tunnel. When they broke the surface at the end of the tunnel, Ash was shocked to see that they were in the bleacher area of the Steel Island arena.

 _"You're already back? I thought Hoopa said that you weren't challenging any of the Alpha-Ranks anymore?"_ The famillar baritone of Dialga said. Ash shook his head. He explained the tunnels that he was exploring to Dialga, who nodded, fascinated.

 _"Huh. That's cool. None of the other Chosen Ones ever found that. Or at least, none that I know of. So it's water-based? I'd watch out for Manaphy then. She's pretty playful. If she finds the tunnels she'll follow them right to your training grounds. Same with Phione."_ Ash nodded, glad to get advice from the Time Pokemon. He turned back to the tunnel, ready to leave, but Dialga's voice stopped him.

 _"Hey Ash?"_ Ash turned around. _"If you want to just talk, feel free to pop back here anytime. Same if you want to train. It gets lonely here after a while."_ Ash nodded, elated. He already had three Pokemon training with Arceus, and now Dialga offers to train him too? Ash was sure that he would take him up on that offer, and told Dialga that. The Celestial being chuckled. _"Glad to hear that. Well, I will see you then."_ And with that, Ash leapt back into the hole.

XX

After Dialga's offer, Ash decided to extend training an extra three weeks, a descision that his team was more than happy to oblidge him in. Under Dialga's careful eye, Ash and his team became more powerful than ever. The few that were not fully evolved yet finally did, leaving Ash with one of the most powerful teams of Pokemon in existence. During this time, Ash experimented with Mega Evolution more. He was beyond happy when Garchomp was able to Mega Evolve, giving the already immensely powerul Pokemon even more power. Finally, the three weeks ended. Ash stood in front of Dialga, bag packed and ready to leave. He dropped the bag into a portal and looked at Dialga. Dialga spoke first.

 _"Ash, you have no idea how much it meant to me that you took me up on my offer. I have taught you everything I know, and I cannot wait for our rematch, in which you triumph over me."_

Ash smiled, but was confused as to why Dialga wanted this. Voicing his thought to Dialga, the Time Pokemon spoke again.

 _"Ash, it is a teacher's greatest dream that their student will one day surpass them. I truly believe that you will be the one to do so. Please, do what no other Chosen One was able to do. Battle, beat, and catch us all."_ Ash smiled ear-to-ear. He walked over to Dialga and hugged him. He stepped away after a minute and grinned.

"Just wait, Dialga. I'm coming for you last. When I get here, I'd better get the battle of a lifetime." At this Dialga grinned too, which looked strange on the legendary.

 _"It will be the battle of the ages."_ Dialga agreed.

With that, Ash put the scuba mask on and walked over to the tunnel. The human and the legendary shared one last fond look before Ash dropped back into the depths. He had decided to do the swim back solo in order to reflect on everything Dialga had taught him. The legendary had pulled him aside once a day after training and taught him how to be a better trainer. He had Ash battle against local Steelix and Metagross, giving Ash pointers and correcting his mistakes. All in all, the three weeks had not only made Ash's Pokemon better, but had drastically improved Ash as well.

A couple hours later, Ash stood in front of his massive group of Pokemon. It was time to select who was going with him to Toxic Island.

"Alright guys, you know what time it is. Now, from what I understand, poison island is special. Due to the poison type not having a legendary- save for Arceus with a Toxic Plate- the island is like the Safari Zone. With this in mind, I'm taking Venusaur, Meganium, Torterra, everyone I caught at Steel Island, Donphan, Krookodile, and Pik-" He caught himself, remembering that his starter was with Arceus. Recalling the mentioned Pokemon, Ash addressed them again.

"Ahem. Anayway, you guys know the drill. Keep up the training and all that. We're gonna catch some poison types!" Before he knew it, he was standing in a replica of the Safari Zone. 'Huh. Looks like I wasn't the only one who thought of that.' Walking through the doors at the end of the building, Ash saw what he was up against. The island was surprisingly nice, considering it was home to poison types. It looked exactly like the Kanto Safari Zone, except all the grass was dead and some boulders were smouldering. Ash didn't let that detain him, however, and proudly marched on. His blood froze, however, when he heard something he had hoped he would never hear again.

"Prepare for trouble!"

 **Uh-oh. Small cliff-hanger for you guys there. I think you'll like what I'm gonna do with it next chapter. I thought of it when I was writing the last paragraph and I thought it was too good to pass up. Anyway, I feel like I need to say something, just to get it out. YES! I GOT MY FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD REVIEWERS! So naturally, I'm going to address them. Lets go!**

 **AgitatedDog9288- Man, thanks a bunch! Its nice to have encouraging words from people. I never really thought much of it when other authors said that it really helps them write their stories but now, actually writing one of my own, I see what they mean. It really does help me a lot. So thanks, not only for your words of kindness, but for being my first reviewer.**

 **TheGamingPyro- Heh. Darkrai comes in at number three fo my top ten favorite Pokemon. Its only topped by Zoroark and Camerupt, so believe me when I say that I have plans for Darkrai. It's not slipping by my radar anytime soon. It might be a while before I get to Dark Island- for lack of a better name- But once I do, Darkrai will be right there waiting.**

 **'The Creator'- I'm glad you like it! I modeled this story off of everything I thought the anime should've been, and some of my personal favorite fanfictions. And unlike my previous 'story,' I have plans for this one. I can't wait to get done with the islands arc, so I can start the** _ **true**_ **plot of this story. Don't worry, it won't be so unoriginal as to be Team Rocket, but there will be a plot. And I'll try to update (somewhat) frequently.**

 **Anyway, now that I've ranted to you guys for sevral hundred words, I'll leave you with the chapter's trivia question: What item do you use to find Shaymin in generation 4? The first one to get it right gets to add a non-legendary pokemon to Ash's team! (I have lots of room for Pokemon)**

 **See ya! ~TheOGPokemonMaster**


	3. Chapter Three

**Read the ending AN. There is a question there that will decide where this story goes :)**

"Arceus damn it all"

Team Rocket was here? 'How on earth did they manage to get here?!' he thought, 'I thought this was a different dimension!' He whipped his head frantically back and forth trying to find Jessie, James and Meowth, who had been stalking him ever since Pikachu blasted them off back in Viridian City on like his second day of being a trainer. Needless to say, he was sick and tired of blasting the fools off. Sure, they had gotten a bit of an IQ raise in Unova, but they still never managed to snatch his Pikachu. He was broken out of his thoughts when a smoke grenade fell from the sky. Coughing, Ash mentally noted that bringing a flying-type to every island would be essential now, but for now he just had to make do.

"Metagross! Come on out!" He called, throwing the steel-type's pokeball into the air. Metagross appeared in a flash of scarlet light, roaring her arrival. Quickly diagnosing her situation, Metagross telepathically lifted Ash onto her back and shot up into the air. Once they were high enough, Ash and Metagross waited out the smoke grenade. Once the smoke cleared, Ash's jaw dropped. Metagross, not getting the joke, simply said, confused,

 _'I thought that shiny Weezing were teal. This one's a sky blue,'_ She telepathed. _"And come to think of it, I know shiny Arbok aren't red. Whats going on here?"_ Ash merely shook his head. "They aren't," he said, "Hoopa and Arceus are just making fun of me." He groaned. He suspected Hoopa had a _very_ large hand in this. Arceus seemed more... mellow... than the genie. Nevertheless, Ash figured that those two would make great additions to his team. He had a list of Pokemon he wanted to capture when he was here, and those two were on it. The Rocketeers used them for most of the first and second years of his journey, so he got to experience firsthand how powerful they could be. Shaking his head to clear it, he asked Metagross to float back down so he could battle the duo.

Once he was back down on the ground, Ash gripped another Pokeball. He had decided to use Torterra and Metagross in this battle, so that Torterra could get some experience without having to worry about keeping another grass type covered. Plus the ground turtle had some great ground-type moves to combat Arbok. Weezing, on the other hand, would be managed by Metagross. The psychic-type would keep Weezing at bay using Psychic while constantly wearing it down using Psybeam. All in all, Ash suspected that this battle would be relatively easy.

As soon as he released Torterra, Arbok and Weezing sprung into action. The two worked perfectly as a team, which Ash suspected had to do with the fact that they were modeled off of Jessie and James. Focusing back on the battle, Ash quickly yelled at Torterra, "Use Earthquake to shake up Arbok, and then when it's trying to regain footing, use Earth Power!" Metagross already knew her part of the plan from reading Ash's mind, so he didn't have to worry about her. Torterra grunted in understanding and suddenly jumped up. When he landed, Ash had to quickly scramble around to regain his footing. The ground quaked and rumbled for a full ten seconds, knocking Arbok off balance but doing nothing to Metagross or Weezing. While this was happening, Metagross psychically grabbed Weezing and slammed him into Arbok. He lowered both to the ground and gestured to Torterra with one of her arms. Torterra nodded and jumped up again. This time Ash could not hope to keep his footing and went crashing down to the ground. Quickly getting back to his feet, he saw Torterra using Earth Power and Mud Bomb with no mercy on the Pesudo-Rocket duo. Finally, after the eighth Mud Bomb, Arbok and Weezing moaned once more, finally unconsious. Ash, reacting quickly, grabbed two Pokeballs from his pack and hurtled them at the duo. Ash watched as the balls shook and trembled violently, showing the will of the two poison-types. But, the Pokemon proved too weak to break free of the Pokeball's hold, and the Pokeballs dinged, signifying Ash's captures. Ash grinned.

"Alright! I caught... An Arbok and a Weezing!" Suddenly a small portal opened.

"Pika!" The portal closed.

XXTIMESKIPXX

A few hours later, Ash was sitting down under a tree, looking at the sixteen Pokeballs at his feet. He smiled, thinking of the battles he had gone through to get those Pokemon. Six in particular stuck out to him. Drapion, Crobat, Dragalge, Tentacruel, Nidoking, and Nidoqueen. Drapion put up the hardest fight he had faced to date, knocking out more than half of his team before finally relenting to Donphan's Earthquake. Crobat he had to track for two hours, with the dual-type always _just_ out of his reach, before a lucky Flamethrower from Metagross had forced him to descend. Dragalge he had found basking in one of the toxic ponds, and when he had challenged her, she turned it into a Horde Battle, with five other Dragalge joining her to battle him. Nidoking and Nidoqueen he had to battle the same way he did Arbok and Weezing- in the double style. The two Nido's had put up an excellent fight, utilizing many combo attacks and techniques that Ash had never seen before. He smiled again, thinking about his teams various triumphs on the island. The hardest capture by far, however, had been the two Gengar he captured. After hiding in his shadow for hours, the two ghost-types actually _possessed_ his Donphan and Empoleon, making Ash fight his own teammates in order to capture them. Still though, once he released them again they proved that they were nice enough. The possessing ability would certainly come in handy later. He hadn't even known the Gengar could _do_ that!

He thought about the rest of the Pokemon he captured today. Besides Arbok, Weezing, Drapion, Crobat, Dragalge, Tentacruel, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, and the two Gengar, Ash had captured a Swalot, Seviper, Crobat, Toxicroak, Beedrill, Vileplume, Tentacruel, and a Scolipede. Ash laughed. It looked like he'd taken the whole 'Safari Zone' theme a bit too far. 'Ah well,' he decided, 'I'd do it the same way if I had to do it again.'

He realized something else. Normal Island would be the same way!.. Unless... Oh no... He wouldn't have to battle _Arceus_ there, would he..? He certainly hoped not. If not, he _definently_ wanted to capture some Blissey. Those things were overpowered. Shaking his head, Ash was about to call for Hoopa, but decided against it. He wanted to try and find the pool of water that would lead back to his house.

Six grueling hours later, Ash found himself back at the Safari Zone Enterance. He looked down the hallway, and noticed a door at the other end leading to where Fuschia City would be. Shrugging, he decided to walk through and see if Arceus had built a replica Fuschia City. Not expecting to find anything, he opened the door and instantly walked back into... The Jhoto Safari Zone? Huh. He would explore that later. For now though, he had one last hunch as to where the elusive pool could be. He was about to start walking until it hit him that he had a Pokemon that could fly. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing it earlier, but he sighed anyway and called out Metagross. The Steel-type roared upon her arrival, but quieted down as Ash explained what he needed. Dipping her lower legs in her version of a nod, Ash smiled in thanks and climbed up on her head. Suddenly, the two shot up into the air, like they had done earlier.

A couple brief minutes in the air later and Ash found himself staring up at the final Rest House, where a man was supposed to be inside handing out the HM for Surf. He figured that the man wouldn't be in there here, but he did suspect that the pool of water would. Stepping inside, he saw the exact same interior as the 'regular' Rest House. Looking around, he confirmed that there was indeed no man handing out HMs. Looking around even more, he saw what he had been looking for for the past six and a half hours later. The pool of water was sitting in the exact same place where the man should've been. Walking over and releasing Empoleon, Ash prepared to plunge into the depths. Looking into the vertical stretch of the tunnel he noticed that there were strips of dark purple adorning the walls. He hadn't noticed this for any of the other tunnels, but he figured that it was a nice asthetic touch. Digging out his scuba gear and putting it on, Ash was about to leap into the water when he was stopped by something poking its head out of the water. Startled, Ash leapt back, calling for Empoleon to be ready in case it was hostile. When Empoleon didn't move, however, Ash took a closer look at the intruder. Needless to say, he was pretty shocked to see-

"Manaphy?"

"Papa!"

The Pokemon said, causing Empoleon to quizzically look over at Ash, causing Ash to send back a look that said, 'I'll tell you later'. Regardless, Ash was happy to see Manaphy, but wondered what she was doing here. His mind flickered back to Dialga's parting words. He could almost see the Temporal Pokemon smirking somewhere under Steel Island. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he leaned down and grabbed Manaphy, hugging her to his chest, not minding in the least that the water-type was soaked. The gesture was returned for a minute before Manaphy broke free of his grasp and hopped back over to the side of the water. Concentrating, Manaphy suddenly lifted an egg out of the water. Ash recoiled in suprise. Emploeon, however, knealt down and lowered his head to the egg. Suddenly, Manaphy took the egg into her short hands and hopped back over to Ash. With a final, higher hop, Manaphy jumped into Ash's arms and deposited the egg. Before anyone could say anything, however, Manaphy suddenly leapt back out of the trainer's arms and back into the water, a final 'Papa' escaping her mouth.

About three minutes passed before Empoleon and Ash snapped out of their stupor. Looking at each other and shrugging, Ash sighed. He placed the egg into his backpack and said, "Well, there goes swimming back. Hoopa! Can you send a portal for us?"

His only response was to be suddenly dropped through time and space.

A couple days after Ash got back from his excursion at Toxic Island, Ash started feeling restless. The egg did not seem like it was going to hatch anytime soon, and he wanted to leave for the next island- sort of... he was somewhat dreading the thought of where he was going next- but he wanted to be there when the baby Manaphy- or Phione- hatched. He also didn't want to take the egg to an island, fearing that it might shatter and kill the baby Pokemon, so he was completely trapped at his own home. So he decided to use this time productively and went on yet another training binge with his Pokemon.

Two days later, when Ash went inside for dinner, his thoughts flickered back to everyone back on Earth. His mom was probably worried out of her mind, even with the warning Serena was supposed to give her. Professor Oak was probably scrambling around, trying to figure out where all of Ash's Pokemon disappeared to. His thoughts drifted to a similar subject: What would he do when _this_ was over? He didn't know of anywhere else he wanted to travel to- Orre being to dangerous for his likings and the other regions being no-catch zones, and, if he was truly honest with himself, he was done travelling for a while. Unless he found out about a new region, he would just sit at home with- hopefully- a shit-ton of legendaries and powerful Pokemon. Maybe he'd go back and conquer a league he'd already tried? Wait... Leagues... An idea suddenly sprung into existence into the back of his mind. An idea so crazy, so awesome that he knew he would just _have_ to try and pull it off. What if he found eighteen Pokemon Masters, one for each type, and set up a league of his own? Trainers would flock from all over at the prospect at such a league. He knew he would. Brock, Misty, Iris, Cilan- heck, he'd even heard that Max was particularly fond of the Psychic Type- were all names that he would definently include on this idea.

He'd include May, Dawn, and Serena in on this, but they didn't have a specific type. Maybe he'd ask Arceus to create a massive contest hall on a seperate island? Serena could always just go back to Kalos whenever she had a new Pokevision video. He smiled, thinking about all the possibilities. Maybe each trainer had a single legendary Pokemon, bred from his own, as the cornerstone of their team? That'd make the challenge a _lot_ harder. He thought back to the islands he'd been to so far. Each of them had an arena- Toxic Isles being in the middle of the field (he'd found that one while flying)- so they were already prime for battling. There was only one problem, albeit a huge one. How in the hell would he get ninteen, maybe twenty, _massive_ islands back to Earth? He figured Arceus could do it, but he didn't want the Alpha Pokemon to have to exert that much power just for him. Hoopa, on the other hand... He thought back to her Pokedex entry, which he had looked up while training with Dialga just out of curiosity.

 _Hoopa, the Mischief Pokemon. It gathers things it likes and pushes them through its loop to teleport them to a secret place. (X) In its true form, it possesses a huge amount of power. Legends of its avarice tell how it once carried off an entire castle to gain the treasure hidden within. (OR) It is said that Hoopa is able to seize anything it desires with its six rings and six huge arms. With its power sealed, however, it transformed into a much smaller form._

Arceus had told him once that Hoopa once carried Mount Chimney in Hoenn miles into the athmosphere so that she could make a home for herself, and then deposited Mount Chimney back into its original place. If she could do that in her confined forme, he had no doubt that she could transport the islands back to Earth. Heck, just to be funny, maybe he'd have her drop the islands right around New Island to toy with Mewtwo...

Either way, he now couldn't wait until he was back on Earth. He had little doubt that any of his Pokemon could crush Lance's, Wallace's, or even Cynthia's teams as it was, but Ash wanted to train even harder. Yes, he would make the League something to be feared. Finishing up his dinner, Ash walked back onto the training field, new determination shining in his eyes.

...That determination didn't last long, though.

"Do we _have_ to do Fairy Island?" Ash whined. "Pika," came his response. "Yeah yeah, I know that Fairy Types are strong over pretty much everything, but do we _have_ to go to that island? I mean, its not like we're challenging Xerneas any time soon..." "Pika. Chu-pika pikachu." "You know why I don't like those things. Remember Valerie?" Pikachu shuddered at the mention of that name. Ash smirked. "I thought so. But I guess Sylveon didn't scare you enough... It's too bad... Ah well! I'll just have to catch one for myself, right, buddy?" By this point, Pikachu was shaking so hard that Ash was quaking a bit himself. He pretended not to notice and continued. "And who knows! Maybe we'll catch a Swirlix or two as well!" Even Ash shuddered at that one. He didn't want to relive Sylvia and her Slurpuff.

After a couple more seconds, Ash decided that Pikachu had had enough and said, "Pikachu, I was just kidding. We _are_ going to try to capture a Sylveon, but it won't be like Valerie's. I do have a couple others in mind, though we're going to avoid Swirlix and Slurpuff at _all costs_ " Pikachu visibly relaxed at that, "Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to capture a Togepi this time without worrying about it getting stolen?" Both of them snickered at that one. As much as the two loved Misty, they still both agreed on the fact that Togepi should've been Ash's. At least he got Totodile. 'You know,' he thought, 'maybe I'll catch one of those for Misty.'

A couple minutes later, Ash had rounded up his selected Pokemon... Or rather his small army. If they didn't have a weakness to Fairy Types, they were here. So the only ones missing were his Dark, Fighting, and Dragon Types. Which was actually a small list. He shrugged it off, chalking it up to the fact that he hadn't been to the right islands yet. 

Shaking his head, he turned to face his Pokemon with a serious look on his counterance. The Pokemon that were with his in Kalos mirrored his expression, while the others just looked confused. Ash decided to fix that.

"Now, I know some of you are wondering why I called you here. You think that you won't be needed for this island. You think that this'll be as easy as the other islands we've been on. Well you're _fucking wrong._ This will be, without any doubt, the _hardest_ island we will face on this quest." He looked around, "Now, I see those looks of yours. You think I'm over-reacting. Well do you want to _know something_?! _THREE_ GODDAMN FAIRY-TYPES TOOK DOWN A MOTHERFUCKING **MEGA RAYQUAZA** IN LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR." He took a breath. "Don't believe me? I caught it on my Pokedex cam." Calling out for Hoopa to send a projector, he pulled out his Pokedex and got it ready. When a sleek, black projector dropped from the sky, Ash put his Pokedex into the slot and hit play.

Half and hour later, Ash hit stop on his Pokedex. Turning to face his Pokemon, he saw over fifty jaws dropped. He spoke, his quiet voice reaching the ears of all present, "That was three fairy-types. We're about to capture ten of them. He let that sink in as he recalled all of them. He frowned. Recalling sixty-plus Pokemon took a while to do.

Suddenly an idea sprang into existence in the crazy part of his mind. He slowly grinned like a maniac, causing Pikachu to hop off his shoulder and slowly back away from him, ears drooped. Hoopa would _love_ this idea.

XXTIMESKIPXX 

"Pikachu, I don't _care_ if I look like a Ghost-Buster. This is _smart_." We find our heroes on Pixie Island, with Pikachu laughing his tail off on Ash's shoulder. Because on Ash's back was a massive tank filled with all of his Pokeballs, and that was connected to two hoses that Ash was gripping. As Pikachu would gladly tell you, it looked like something Team Rocket would put together. In the tank on Ash's back was over one thousand miniture, shrunken Pokeballs. The tank itself was divided internally into two sections- one for Ash's empty Pokeballs (Which was about 910), and another for Ash's Pokeballs that contained his Pokemon. The cannons hooked to his arms each were designed to shoot the Pokeballs at a high speed, like a machine gun. Both the tanks and the cannons were designed to look like a Mega Blastoise minus the center cannon. Heck, Hoopa and Ash even painted the 'shell' and cannons to look like that of a Mega Blastoise. And it was for that reason that the water-type was out of his Pokeball and walking next to him. Suddenly, he perked up.

"Shit guys, is that an Audino? " Ducking behind a bush, the trio poked their heads above the shrubbage to see that Ash was indeed correct. An unsuspecting Audino was laying in the middle of a clearing, eating berries. Ash smirked. Cocking his left arm like a rifle, Ash poked his arm through the bush. He stayed in that position for about a minute before he clenched his fist- the trigger for the cannon. Suddenly, seventy Pokeballs shot from the cannon like the bullets of a SMG, spraying the Audino in the red-and-white spheres and releasing the inhabitants of the Pokeballs. The poor Audino must've been scared shitless, but Ash didn't let it rest at all and yelled for all of his Pokemon to attack. And oh, attack they did.

Seventy attacks were shot at the Audino, fainting the poor creature and creating a massive dust cloud. Ash wasted no time and cocked his right arm and squeezed his fist, spraying empty Pokeballs into the fray. When he saw a burst of red light, he stopped firing.

Twelve minutes later, the dust cleared and Ash slowly grinned. For sitting in the middle of a twenty-foot crater was a lone Pokeball.

"Well shit guys! I think we just caught an Audino!"

"Piiikkkaaaa...?"

Activating the return function on his Blastoise Armor, he recalled all of his Pokemon and strolled out of the crater with a lopsided grin on his face.

...Only to run smack into a slack-jawed Diancie. Suprised, Ash stumbled a few steps backwards only to hear Diancie speak, _"Well, I was_ _ **going**_ _to fight you but now I think I'll just let you capture me..."_ Ash simply smirked and shot one single Pokeball right into Diancie's body.

 _"OUCH!"_

 **Sorry guys, for two things. One: Not updating in a while. I finished my first year and I wanted a chance to relish the first bit of summer. Also, sports kicked into high gear and completely fucked up my schedule. Finally, my internet SUCKS BALLS. I hate to say it, but my updating pattern will be random until school starts back up in the fall and I can just bypass the firewall to upload more chapters. Until then, however, the chapters are going to come at random. So yeah. Secondly, this chapter is shorter than my first. Not much to say for this one, except that I didn't really** _ **need**_ **to go anywhere with this chapter. Ash just caught a bunch of poison types, then headed to Pixie Island. Oh, and hey, TheGamingPyro, go ahead and review with the name of** _ **any**_ **non-legendary Pokemon you want Ash to have. Shaymin is indeed summoned with Oak's Letter, on Route 227, which leads to Seabreak Path. :)**

 **By the way, I modeled Ash's attitude towards Faires towards my own. If I see that someone has a Fariy-Type on their team you can be sure as hell that I'll be coming at them with a full team of poison and steel-type Arceuses. I thought the Blastoise Armour was kinda funny...**

 **IMPORTANT QUESTION AHEAD:**

 **I am SO FUCKING EXCITED for when the islands arc ends! The islands arc is really just a set-up for the main story. Ash is going to battle some** _ **legendary**_ **trainers, both figuratively and literally. Red, Blue, Gold, Yellow, and even MORE colors will be making an epic appearance in this story. Buuuuttt, thats** _ **after**_ **this arc. So that leads me to the most important question I will (probably) ever ask in this fanfic: Should I** _ **skip**_ **the islands arc? If I do, the next chapter or so will be highlighting the epic battles of the arc. Mega Rayquaza, Darkrai, Dialga, Arceus, Hoopa, and some others would be included in the next couple chapters. I'd also do the bit on Hoopa teleporting the islands back to Earth, scaring the shit out of a certain professor. So yeah!**

 **Oh! One more thing. Legendaries can breed in this fic, okay? Okay. Thats all I've got. See you next time! ~TheOGPokemonMaster**


	4. Chapter Four

**Just a quick AN here. You can skip it if you want... Anyway, I'd just like to thank The Creator for your continued support of this story. I couldn't care less that you're a guest reviewer, but I do have a little secret for you.** _ **ALL**_ **of your reviews have come through. XD. But yeah! You know, I was going to go straight to Draco Island to capture some of them Dragon-Types. But hey! To thank The Creator- and anyone else who is on the Darkrai Hype Train- We're going STRAIGHT TO DARKNESS ISLE! So thanks again. You have no idea how much it means to me. Oh, and I decided that I'm not skipping the islands arc. That was stupid of me to consider.**

Ash looked down, staring at the ten Pokeballs in his hands with a pang of guilt. He felt horrible that he had gone all out on Pokemon who were really just as strong as any other type. Yes, he still was a little scared of them, but he realized that every time he had fought a fairy, they were hopped up on some kind of power. The three that took down Mega Rayquaza were being boosted by Arceus' Pixie Plate, and the Swirlix he fought was being boosted by Xerneas' Fairy Aura. He felt another pang of guilt. He'd fucking _scared_ a _LEGENDARY_ into joining his team! He was about ready to swim back to Pixie Island and release the Pokemon he caught. But before he did, he felt that he needed to talk to them. Dropping his hands, ten flashes of scarlet light revealed ten Pokemon that looked... joyful?

Ash was gobsmacked. How could they look so happy when he had so ruthlessly crushed them? Voicing his concern to the fairies, he was shocked when their reply came.

 _"Silly, we just looked into your soul! We know that you were scared of us, and we forgive you."_ Ash nodded, but then paled a bit. Fairy-Types could _look into people's souls?!_ Ah well. At least they forgave him. He was about to show the faries around the training area when a chilling laugh echoed throughout the clearing. Looking around, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, other than all of his Pokemon looking towards the sky. Following their lead, he turned his head into the air and his jaw dropped. Covering the sky was a massive blanket of pitch black fog. Then, all of the sudden, two massive red eyes appeared in the sky. They seemed to pierce into his very soul, analyzing every aspect of him. Then, seemingly satisfied, they disappeared, taking the black haze with them. Nodding to himself, Ash decided then and there where he would be going next. But first, however, he wanted to see if training with Arceus had really done everything the Alpha Pokemon had said it would. Pikachu would be training everyone else into the dirt for three days.

Arceus POV (This won't happen much)

Overall, Arceus was pretty happy with the progress of the three Pokemon under his tutelage. Charizard, Pikachu, and Venusaur (he had evolved within a day of his training) could now stand toe-to-toe with the strongest legendaries and emerge victorious. Out of the three, though, Pikachu had trained the hardest. At the very beginning, Arceus had made it clear that they would not see Ash until they completed the training. A bit harsh, sure, but it gave them a drive. Sure, Charizard and Venusaur loved their trainer to no end, but it was Pikachu that strived the hardest out of sheer will to get back to Ash. It was because of this will that he completed the training early and was currently back with Ash. Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to face his two charges. Nodding to them, he called out, _"Heatran, Kyogre, I need your assistance."_ Upon his call, the two legendaries appeared in the training grounds. Already knowing what they were here for, the two assumed posistions on opposite sides of the field. Nodding at them, Arceus turned to face Charizard and Venusaur. _"You two will be battling Heatran and Kyogre today. Venusaur, you're with Heatran. Charizard, you'll take Kyogre. Get to work. You may be done when you knock out your assigned legendary."_

Regular POV

Ash was flabbergasted at the amount of power Pikachu had at his disposal. Over the course of the three days, Pikachu had managed to train every single Pokemon Ash had to Delta-Rank. There were few exceptions, however. Garchomp, Tyranitar, Metagross, Infernape, Sceptile, and a few others had managed to surpass even Delta-Rank and made it to Alpha-Rank. Still, however, Ash wouldn't challenge any Alpha-Rank legendaries until _all_ of his Pokemon were Alpha-Ranked. He was broken out of his train of thought by a nervous Pikachu pulling lightly at his pants. The mouse had his ears dropped and his head down, making Ash wonder what the problem was. Crouching down to his level, Ash asked,

"Hey buddy, whats up?" "Chu-pika pikachu pichu-cha." Ash was stunned speechless. "Excuse me?" Ash managed to stutter out. "Pikachu. Pichu-cha" Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You want to... evolve? Pikachu, you know that you have my full support, but is this really what you want?" Ash asked, concerned etching his features. Pikachu then explained that he felt that he wasn't going to get any stronger in his current form. Any more electricity and he would burn up. Ash nodded, getting where Pikachu was going. "But you want to stay in your current form, don't you." A positive 'Pika' confirmed his suspicion. Ash nodded.

"Alright buddy, follow me then." Ash led Pikachu out of the training grounds and up into his room. Looking at Pikachu for what could be the final time, he opened a drawer on his nightstand. In the drawer, wrapped up in silk, was the same Thunder Stone that Lt. Surge had given him all those years back. He had kept it in case he either caught a Pokemon who could use it or Pikachu had ever changed his mind. Judging by the look on Pikachu's face, he knew the mouse recgonized it. Steeling himself, he placed it on the floor in between the two of them. He backed away, letting Pikachu do this on his own. Slowly, Pikachu inched foward until his paw was a mere inch away from the stone. Pikachu looked up and made eye contact with Ash and saw nothing but unconditional love that steeled his resolve. Nodding to his trainer, the mouse thrust his paw onto the Thunder Stone and suddenly erupted in a blinding white light, forcing Ash to look away.

When the light faded and Ash could turn his head, he saw that standing in Pikachu's place was... A Pikachu? To say he was confused was an understatement. The trainer and Pokemon both stood there until they heard Arceus' voice. _"You know, I figured that Pikachu would do that eventually. So I took the liberty of making a way that Pikachu could evolve without evolving, if that makes any sense. Basically, Pikachu is now a Raichu in every way except apperance. If you look closely, you should notice that Pikachu is now the same color as a Raichu, and his cheek pouches are bigger. Those are the only asthetic changes. Internally, however, he is a Raichu. You can now train him to hold unlimited power, just like all fully-evolved Pokemon. Enjoy! ...PALKIA GET AWAY FROM GIRATINA! Sorry Ash, but I need to go now. Charizard and Venusaur will be back soon!"_

Both Pikachu and Ash stood there in awe until Ash started chuckling. Pikachu mirrored this until both parties were laughing hysterically. Wiping the tears out of his eyes, Ash said, "Well then, Mr. Not-a-Raichu, shall we head to Darkness Isle?" His response came to him as a light shock.

Ash went though his mental checklist. Pokeballs? Check. His team? Check. Pikachu? Check. List of Pokemon he wanted to capture? He looked down at his right hand, which held a rolled up piece of paper. Check. He had decided against using the Blastoise Armor on this island, for obvious reasons. Back to the paper that had the list of Pokemon he wanted on it, he realized that it would be a good idea to make a folder of them, so he could keep track of the ones he wanted to capture. He'd do that later though. Now was the time for him to go hunt down that mysterious face in the clouds. He had a nagging suspicion that the offending Pokemon would be on Darkness Isle. Calling for Hoopa to make a portal, cracked his knuckles. 'Darkness Island, here I come,' he thought.

'Well, now I know why they call this Darkness Island,' he mused. The island itself, from what he could tell, was made of plains, but he couldn't see more than two feet in front of his face due to the same black haze that had covered the sky three days ago. He couldn't be sure, but he thought that it was night, as he could see parts of what looked to be a giant circle- presumably a false moon- ahead of him. Suddenly, those two red eyes appeared in front of him, the same calculating look in their pupils. Seeming satisfied, the red eyes narrowed then disappeared, taking the black haze with them, just as before.

Now that the haze was gone, he could fully see the island in all of its glory. It was truly a home for dark-types, with a forest of dead and decaying trees, many ravines and holes dotting the surface, and cliffs that casted the surrounding areas in shadows. Ash looked closer at one of the cliffs only to see a black silhouette against the moon. **(Picture the MegaMan SSB4 trailer)** He squinted at the figure, but the moon was too bright, creating a stark contrast with the black figure. Suddenly, a blue ring lit up, and the figure turned its head to the moon and howled. Without warning, it jumped up and off of the cliff, landing right in front of Ash. Like the first ring, several more flickered into existence, revealing to Ash the form of a Shiny Umbreon

Ash wasted no time in releasing Primape, who beat his chest and snorted upon his arrival. Ash wasted no time in starting.

"Brick Break!" With the speed of a P1 Champion, Primape dashed forward with his fist raised, poised to strike. However, Umbreon was faster, dodging with the grace and agility of a contest Pokemon. Ash watched as Umbreon charged up a Dark Pulse in her mouth, but he wasn't going to let her hit Primeape that easily. "Stone Edge behind you!" Primeape complied, sending a barrage of jagged stones behind him, dealing heavy damage to Umbreon. Ash wasn't about to let up, though. "Primeape! Close Combat!" He had trained Primeape- along with the rest of his Pokemon- to not feel any recoil on attacks that usually had some. So using Close Combat to Primeape was about as easy as using Karate Chop. Ash saw Primeape explode into action, sending a flurry of punches and kicks into Umbreon's flank, knocking it out. Ash sweatdropped. He thought that this would be harder... Then again, Primeape was one of his Alpha-Ranks. Clipping Umbreon's Pokeball to his belt, he turned around and walked towards the cliff.

XXTIMESKIPXX 

'Man. This would've been _so_ much harder if I actually would've been dumb enough to try _climbing_ this cliff.' Ash thought. He was currently rising up to the peak of the cliff on Metagross' back, who was all too happy to give him a ride. He had seen the red eyes twice more, once right after he defeated Umbreon and again when he released Metagross. Now they were constantly above him, seemingly leading him to the cliff. Ash was more than happy to oblige, especially if his hunch on who the eyes belonged to was correct. He thumbed the Pokeball that he would be using for the fight if he was correct on assuming that the mysterious Pokemon was Darkrai.

When Ash finally got to the peak, his jaw dropped at the sight before him. Like the one at Steel Island, there was a massive arena. However, unlike Dialga's arena, this battlefield was made of pitch-black dirt with charred, dead trees standing at random angles all over the battlefield. Again, the Pokeball emblem was there, but this time it was all made up of a striking red that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Ash looked for the red eyes only to find that they weren't there anymore. Recalling Metagross, he stood in the middle of the pokeball, staring at the moon, hoping to find answers on where the mysterious being- probably Darkrai- was at. Suddenly, Ash saw two small red lights appear on the giant moon. Squinting, he saw a figure block out some of the moon's light, casting a familliar shadow on the ground.

"Darkrai..." he whispered. Indeed, the Pitch-Black Pokemon was rapidly descending from the sky to the end of the battlefield. Taking his cue, Ash ran back to the ledge that he presumed was the Trainer's Box and grabbed his chosen Pokeball, waiting for Darkrai to fully descend. Once it did, Ash was met with those same calculating eyes as before. They bore into his head, making him want to turn away, but he couldn't make himself move. After about a minute, Darkrai seemed satisfied and nodded, breaking the trance on Ash. Ash wasted no time in throwing his Pokeball into the arena, releasing a proud green lizard who smugly chewed on a twig. In the darkness Ash could see the familliar glint of his Sceptilite hanging from his neck.

"Sceptile!" Ash called, getting the Forest Pokemon's attention. "I know you've defeated a Darkrai before, but this one's gonna be a _lot_ harder! Understand?" A nod from Sceptile satisfied Ash who wasted no time in calling out, "Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile shot forwards towards Darkrai, who stood in one place charging some kind of attack. Recgonizing it from Alamos, Ash yelled, "Duck! Then fire a Bullet Seed while still charging!" Ducking under a Dark Void, Sceptile continued his charge on Darkrai while firing a barrage of green seeds. Darkrai winced under the powerful attack then flew upwards and behind Sceptile, forcing him to stop his attack. While Sceptile was still turning around, Darkrai fired multiple Dark Pulses, scoring direct hits on the reptillian before flying out of reach of Sceptile's retalliating Energy Ball. Ash frowned. That would be a problem. Sceptile relied mostly on close-ranged attacks, but he did have some powerful distanced ones. The only problem would be that Sceptile would be firing upwards, where Darkrai could dodge in virtually any direction. He either needed a way to bring Darkrai down or Sceptile up, or find an attack that would be sure to hit and slowly wear Darkrai down. Then he remembered. Sceptile had one attack in his arsenal that would greatly benefit him in this situation. But first, however,

"Sceptile! Mega Evolve!" Ash yelled, thrusting up his Mega Bracelet. Sceptile was enveloped in a bright pink light, until it died down and Mega Sceptile emerged with a roar. Before, Dark-Type attacks didn't do much to him, but now, with his added Dragon typing? They weren't going to do much at all. All he had to watch out for was...

"Shit! Sceptile! That's Ice Beam! Dodge then use Magical Leaf until Darkrai can't hover anymore!" Dodging the Ice Beam with a burst of speed, Sceptile fired Magical Leaf after Magical Leaf at Darkrai. Ash winced when he saw Sceptile get hit with an Ice Beam, until a plan slowly formulated in his mind.

"Scpetile! Go ahead and use many Grass Knots on the battlefield! Use a Safeguard while you're at it so that Darkrai can't put you to sleep!" Sceptile complied, not fully getting the plan but going with it anyway. Ash nodded to himself after about fourty Grass Knots were set up. "That's good Sceptile! Keep up with the Magical Leaves until he falls!" While Sceptile did that, Ash thought of the next phase of his plan. Suddenly, Darkrai meshed into the darkness. Ash almost panicked until he remembered: "Sunny Day!" Sceptile shot a basketball-sized red orb into the sky which expanded, creating an artificial sun, lighting everything up. Ash had to squint and cover up his eyes for a bit, but so did Darkrai. "Ugh... Fire Solar Beams at it while hes disorientated!" Seconds after he said that, he heard the telltale sound of a Solar Beam firing and then a low grunt before something hit the ground. Blinking the last of the disorientation off, Ash looked over and saw Darkrai was struggling to get out of one of the Grass Knots. Wasting no time, Ash initiated phase three.

"Rock Tomb! Then Earthquake, followed up by a Focus Blast to break the rocks! Then charge in there with a Dragon Rush-powered Brick Break!" Sceptile raised his arms, causing rocks to appear and trap Darkrai in them. Next, Sceptile jumped up and shot his tail into the ground, sending a massive shockwave towards Darkrai, who grunted in pain. After he landed, Scpetile charged up a Focus Blast and shot it at the rocks, both breaking the stones and causing super-effective damage to Darkrai. Then, Sceptile erupted in a bright blue light and started rocketing towards Darkrai. The front of the cone of light suddenly changed colors from the dark blue to a orangeish-brown, the telltale sign of a fighting attack. Ash almost wanted to laugh as he saw Sceptile smash into Darkrai. This had certainly been a lot more fun than his other battles. Waiting for the dust to settle, Ash casually tossed a Pokeball into the dust, knowing that that last combo had certainly knocked out Darkrai. After a few moments, the dust settled and both Sceptile and the Pokeball were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he was tapped in the shoulder from behind by an un-mega evolved Sceptile, who smugly grinned as he held up a Pokeball. A smile spread across Ash's features.

"Alright! I caught a... Darkrai!"

Pikachu poked his groggy head out of Ash's backpack, chirping, "Pika!"

"Sceptile, Lucario? Whoever hits that Absol over on that cliff with a Focus Blast first wins bragging rights for the week. Sceptile and Lucario looked at each other and grinned, loving the prospect of a challenge. Ash grinned as well, knowing that Sceptile and Lucario had come to be training partners with a fierce, but friendly, rivalry. Without warning, Sceptile shot a Focus Blast at the Absol, hitting the cliff right next to it. And then the two Pokemon were off, firing Focus Blast after Focus Blast. Ash was pretty sure he saw a Solar Beam and Dragon Pulse get mixed into the fray a couple times as well.

Ash tripped over a loose rock. "Agh!" He yelled, "My pinkie toe!" Suddenly, he heard maniacal laughted coming from below him, and he saw that the rock he tripped over was actually a slumering Spritiomb, who was taking great delight in watching Ash squirm. 'Oh, it's _on._ ' Ash thought. "Diancie!" He called, throwing the Pokeball, "Mega Evolve!"

Ash was currently running from a pack of Mightyena, Pikachu sprinting at his side. "Pikachu, remind me again as to _why_ in the world we let _Gengar_ mess with some _Mightyena_?" The little mouse simply sweat-dropped.

Ash was in the process of trying to convince Pikachu that he was the real Ash in the middle of two Zoroarks who were having the time of their lives repeating everything Ash said and confusing Pikachu to no end. Finally, Ash got fed up with it and realeased Nidoking and Bastidon and went to town.

Ash was in paradise. Charizard was currently man-handling a Shiftry and a Pangoro, while Pikachu, Sylveon, and Samurrot were handling a Houndoom, Malamar, and Sableye. Every so often a Pokeball would be thrown back towards Ash who was leaning up against a rock relaxing.

Ash was flabbergasted. How had this untrained Hydregion taken down his Sceptile? Recalling his fallen lizard, Ash palmed four Pokeballs. "Goodra! Come on out! Charizard, Garchomp, Glalie: MEGA EVOLVE!" This battle was finished.

 **And so was the chapter! Do you guys want me to keep doing those little snippits at the end of the other 'battles' Ash has on each island? Or would you rather me skip them like I usually do? You guys know how to tell me :) Anyway, Darkrai! I tried to do better than I usually do with this battle, but battles are** _ **not**_ **my forte. Which kinda sucks, considering that battling is a pretty major part of Pokemon... Anyway, on to the reviews. I know I said it earlier, but The Creator, you have no idea how much your continued support means to me. Same goes for all of my reviewers. TheGamingPyro, AgitatedDog9288, and of course, The Creator; you guys all mean so much to me. Anyway, I'll stop being all mushy :P**

 **TheGamingPyro... You** _ **do**_ **know that Ash already had a Quilava, whom I evolved- along with the rest of his team- to their final stages? You know, I'll just copy and paste from my master list of Pokemon all the Pokermans Ash has as of now. If they're marked by a *, they're legendary. If they're marked by a ~, they can mega evolve.**

 **Pikachu, Charizard~~, Venusaur~, Blastoise~, Lapras, Snorlax, Pidgeot~, Butterfree (x2), Hawlucha, Avalugg, Ageislash, Talonflame, Kingler, Muk, Tauros (x30), Heracross~, Meganuim, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, Noctowl (Shiny), Donphan, Swellow, Sceptile~, Crawdaunt, Torkoal, Primeape, Glalie~, Staraptor, Torterra, Infernape, Floatzel, Gliscor, Garchomp~, Unfezant, Samurott, Emboar, Serperior, Scrafty, Leavanny, Seismatoad, Gigalith, Krookodile, Goodra, Tyranitar~.**

 **Steel-Types:** **1) Scizor~ 2) Mawile~ 3)Steelix~ 4)Metagross~ 5)Aggron~ 6) Bronzong 7)Empoleon 8)Bisharp 9)Magnezone 10)Probopass 11) Exadrill 12) Bastidon 13) Lucario 14)Registeel***

 **Poison-Types: 1)Arbok (Red) 2)Weezing (Sky-Blue) 3)Nidoking 4)Nidoqueen 5) Swalot 6)Seviper 7)Crobat 8)Drapion 9) Toxicroak 10)Dragalge 11) Beedrill 12)Victreebell 13) Vileplume 14) Gengar~ (x2) 15) Tentacruel 16) Scolipede**

 **Fairy-Types: 1) Florges 2)Aromatisse 3)Sylveon 4)Togekiss 5)Gardevoir~ 6) Altaria 7)Audino~ 8)Azumarill 9)Diancie*~**

 **Dark-Types: 1) Absol~ 2)Mightyena 3) Umbreon 4) Zoroark (x2) 5)Houndoom~ 6) Sableye~ 7) Hydreigon 8) Malamar 9)Shiftry 10)Pangoro 11) Spiritomb***

 **Oh, and one last thing. The trivia question is... Which of Red's team is on his Gold/Silver Team but not his Heartgold/Soulsilver team?**


	5. Chapter Five

**Be on the lookout for a new 'story' of mine today... It's not actually a story, but it'll help you guys keep up with what Pokemon Ash has/ will have :D**

Ash was standing in the training grounds, bag packed and psyched to go to Draco Island. He didn't have a particularly large list of dragons that he wanted to capture, but the dragons on it were nothing short of epic. Pikachu stood atop his shoudler, just as ready to bust some dragons as he was. The duo was waiting on Hoopa to open a portal so they could get going.

 _"You're not training in between islands this time?"_ Came Hoopa's voice form behind him. Ash shook his head. "Naw, we'll just take an extra-long training session after Draco Island. Right now we just want to go tame some dragons." He couldn't really be blamed for being exited at the prospect of capturing Dragon-Types. After all, when he was younger his idol had been Lance, Champion of Kanto and Jhoto and master of dragons. And on his travels he had only trained a few dragon-types, but they had quickly become powerhouses, so he couldn't wait to capture a bunch that had the potential to absolutely wreck teams. Hoopa must've seen the look on his face because she giggled, opening a portal and shoving Ash through.

"Damn genies," Ash grumbled, but on the inside he was happy that he didn't have to wait any longer. Looking around, he duly noted that the island was a giant crag, with rock and stone everywhere. He could see a snow-capped mountain that looked remarkably similar to Mount Silver of Kanto/Jhoto. Tucking that information into the back of his mind, he looked around for any dragon-type he could find. And oh, he was _not_ disappointed. Tons of dragon-type pokemon were relaxing, sparring, racing, or sleeping within his vicinity. Looking at the nearest one, he was delightfully surprised to find that it was a Flygon basking in the sun. Walking over to it, Ash tapped it on the head. Slowly, almost lazily, one eye opened under the red 'goggles' on Flygon's face, until it registered that a human was the offendor. Curious, Flygon shot up and started sniffing and nudging Ash until it tickled. "H-Hey! Stop that, it tickles!" Ash cried. Flygon paused for a moment, as if asking Ash what he was doing. Ash simply raised a Pokeball and said, "Well, I'd love to have you on the team. Care for a battle?"

One thing that is well-known about any and all dragon-types is that battling is coded into their DNA. Of couse, battling is a part of all pokemons' lives, but dragon-types _lived_ for the thrill of battling. So at the mention of a battle, Flygon's eyes snapped wide open, And it buzzed happily, shooting about ten feet away from Ash. Ash grinned at this. He liked her fighting spirit. Ash was about to release Charizard- he'd love to battle a dragon, but he decided against it, opting to use a Pokemon he hadn't used as much. "Tyranitar! You're up!" The massive pseudo-legendary exploded into being, exerting his dominance with a mighty roar that let everyone present know that they were inferior. Ash sweatdropped. Yup. He certainly was Charizard's training partner for a reason. Shaking his head, Ash decided to start the battle. A sandstorm started raging, forcing Ash to call upon some Go-Goggles from Hoopa.

"Alright! Tyranitar, use Rock Polish!" Ash wanted to boost Tyranitar's speed in case Flygon knew some Fighting-Type attacks, which would do 4x damage against the Armor Pokemon. Ash decided to play the stalling game. The sandstorm wouldn't do anything against Flygon, due to its ground-typing, but it would help hide Tyranitar. "Substitute! Then use Rest!" Tyranitar almost managed to get the Substitute off before the Hyper Beam hit. The beam of energy smacked into Tyranitar's chest, knocking him back a few feet and dealing heavy damage.

"Dang. Change of plans, Tyranitar. Use Payback!" Ash yelled. A beam of red light shot from Tyranitar and hit Flygon, doing double the damage of the already-powerful Hyper Beam, effectively winding Flygon. The desert Pokemon didn't look any worse for wear externally, but anyone could tell that the Flygon was hurting. And then the giant wave of water nailed Flygon, doing heavy damage. But Ash wan't done yet, and he called, "Dragon Claw followed up by a Blizzard!" Flygon managed to dodge the Dragon Claw by using Agility but couldn't avoid the following Blizzard, which dealt quadruple super-effective damage. However, the Mystic Pokemon managed to fire off an Earth Power, knocking Tyranitar off of his feet.

Suddenly, the two shot forwards without any provoking and locked themselves in a pushing contest of some sort. Suddenly, Tyranitar threw a punch. Then another, more powerful punch. Then another, even more powerful than the last two. Ash finally got it. Tyranitar was using Power-Up Punch to get ready for a finishing attack. That didn't explain Flygon though. Maybe it was dragon pride? Who knows, Ash decided. After the tenth punch, of which only three had hit Flygon (doing minimal damage) Tyranitar gestured to Ash, who understood perfectly.

"Alright? Tyranitar! MEGA EVOLVE, i guess..." And then Tyranitar exploded into a bright pink light of Mega Evolution. When Tyranitar emerged, looking brand-new, he wasted no time in enveloping himself in the power of Giga Impact. Once he charged it enough, Tyranitar shot towards Flygon thanks to his early Rock Polish, and completely decimated Flygon.

For once, there wasn't a huge cloud of dust that blocked Ash's vision, so he could actually see Flygon fainting. Grinning, he lobbed a Pokeball at the downed Mystic Pokemon, watching as it shook three times and then dinged, signifing a successful capture. Ash grabbed the pokeball and leapt into the air, crying,

"Alright! I caught... A Flygon!"

* * *

A little while later, Ash found himself staring into a canyon that had many rivers and streams zig-zagging the floor, giving the canyon a look akin to Altomare, Jhoto. Ash's face lit up. Speaking of Altomare, would those two be here? They were half-dragons, after all...

His question was answered rather roughly. Without warning, something invisible slammed into him from behind and knocked him to the ground. Ash found that the mysterious weight stayed put firmly on his back, giving him a total of two possible culprits. One: Meganium, for some reason, broke free from her Pokeball. But that wasn't as likely as suspect number two: Latias had found him. He _did_ note that this area looked like Altomare. Going out on a limb, Ash decided to say,

"Hey Latias, good to see you too." As soon as he said that, the weight on his back froze, and he heard a feminine voice inside of his head saying, _"How'd you know it was me?"_ Ash grinned, then regretted it, as his face was still in the dirt. Looks like he was spot on with his guess. Turning his head so he could speak clearly, he said, "Well, it was either you or Meganium, and, well, Meganuim can't go invisible. Latias giggled and levitated off of him, dropping her invisibility as she did. _"Well darn. There goes the surprise then,"_ She said. _"I was gonna make you race me to the end before I revealed who I was to you. Plus, someone else is waiting there for you."_ Ash's eyes widened. "You mean Lati-" Before he could finish, Latias had already exploded into action, shooting across the water all the while laughing. Ash yelled, "Hey! No fair! Ugh, go Feraligatr!" Now Feraligatr was not by any means his fastest water-type. But he was there during the Tour de Altomare, and Ash was using him for that reason. He would, however, need more speed, so he grabbed three Pokeballs and released Empoleon, Tentacruel, and Blastiose. Quickly explaining his situation to them, he was about to run over to his water chariot when he realized... "Crap! Hoopa, I need a water cha-" *splash* "...riot"

"Aqua Jet!"

It took Ash about five minutes to realize that he had no idea where he was going. He had already Mega-Evolved Blastiose to get more speed, but that wouldn't do anything if he didn't know where he was going. He thought, trying to think of a plan, when suddenly something hit him. Literally. Blastoise had turned around when they reached yet another dead end and smacked a Pokeball on Ash's belt for him. With a roar, Steelix appeared, halfway in the water. Ash wondered what Blastoise was getting at when he got it. Recalling the three water-types with a word of thanks, Ash hooked Steelix to the chariot. Grinning, he yelled,

"Steelix! We're in a race! And we're losing, badly. So I need you to..."

* * *

Ash crashed through the sixth canyon wall with a whoop of glee. Grinning, he reminded to thank Blastoise again for the idea. Ash had had Steelix take him to the top of the canyon so he could see where he needed to go, and then had him pave his own road there. Steelix were almost impossible to catch in their home territory- the earth- so having Steelix dig though walls was a stroke of pure genius. After they exploded through the seventh wall, Ash saw a very surprised Latias racing just inches above the water. Smirking to her, Ash urged Steelix to go faster.

They were neck and neck for the last portion of the race until Ash finally threw in the game-changer. Lifting his wrist, he Mega-Evolved Steelix, giving him a boost in speed and giving him the edge in the race. Busting through one last wall, Ash stopped inches away from a very suprised Latios.

 _"Ash?"_

"Latios?" The two started at each other before enveloping each other in a manly hug, patting each other's backs before releasing.

"Wait a second. I thought you... well, you know..."

 _"Died?"_ Ash nodded. Latios dipped his head and replied, _"I was, for about a day. Then Arceus found out and revived me so that Altomare could have two gaurdians again."_ Ash smiled.

"Thats good... I thought you were gone. I felt horrible for months." Latios shifted uncomfortably at that, looking down at the ground. _"Well, you see, uh, we tried to locate you, but you were too far away. Believe me, we wanted to tell you, but we couldn't leave Altomare to go look, and our Psychic powers were too weak."_ Ash shrugged. "Hey, its alright. No hard feelings! You tried, and thats all that matters." They sat in a comfortable silence until Ash remembered...

"Wait. Do I have to battle you guys? Because I'm not too sure I could do that." Latias was the first to reply, saying, _"No, you never would've had to battle me, my only condition was the race."_ Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He did not want to battle his friends. He turned to Latios. _"Well, you don't have to battle me, but I do have a condition of my own."_ Ash nodded. "What is it?"

 _"Well, I recently took an oddly colored Druddigon into my care after it's pack abondoned it for being too powerful and a weird color. If you could get him to warm up to you enough to capture him, I'll go with you without a battle. Because I, too, really don't want to battle you."_

"Alright, where's the Druddigon? I have the perfect Pokemon to relate to him. Latios moved to reveal a Druddigon, standing tall behind him. Ash almost had to do a double take. When Latios said that Druddigon was an odd color, he thought it would've been green like the one in the Decolora Islands, not pitch black. It looked like he had been blessed- or cursed, Ash mused- by Darkrai, because that's who he bore a striking resemblance to. The body of the dragon was a midnight black, with only it's claws and eyes being a different color- red. Ash seriously considered releasing Darkrai and asking him, but he decided against it, instead opting for another Pokemon of his. With a flash, his shiny Noctowl appeared, flying to his shoulder and nuzzling Ash's face with her beak. After a moment Ash broke away from Noctowl and explained the situation to her. The avian nodded and flew over to where Druddigon was sitting, leading the dragon-type a few meters away. Ash decided to let her do her own thing, and so he sat down and waited.

Fourty minutes later, Ash was still sitting. By this point he had already captured Latias and re-released her back out into the canyon, where she was currently doing lazy loop-de-loops in the air. Looking over at Latios, he saw that the older of the Eon Pokemon was napping, levatiating _just_ above the rocks. Turning his head towards Noctowl and Druddigon, he heard Noctowl and Druddigon locked into conversation, with Noctowl making many gestures and Druddigon frequently looking over at Ash in awe, making Ash wonder just what Noctowl was telling the other pokemon.

* * *

Ash didn't know how long he had been sleeping. It seemed like ages before Pikachu finally snapped him out of his dreams with a light thundershock. Ash's eyes snapped open when he felt the familiar tingle of hundreds of volts of electricity flowing though his body. With a small yelp, he shot up into an upright position, subsequently throwing Pikachu off of him. He blinked his eyes into focus only to see a grinning Noctowl and a smirking Druddigon standing in front of his face. Judging by the look on his face, Ash guessed that Noctowl had finally convinced the dragon to join Ash's team. But, just to be sure, Ash asked, "Hey Druddigon! It's nice to meet ya! Do you want to be a part of the family?" When he said that last part Druddigons eyes started to water and the dragon fervently nodded. Ash grinned, holding an empty Pokeball to in front of him. "Well Druddigon, all you have to do press the white circle." Without hesitation, Druddigon shot his hand to the sphere, sucking himself inside the ball.

Ash looked at the still-asleep Latios and smirked. Casually whistling, Ash lobbed a Pokeball at Latios, whose eyes immediately shot open and then narrowed at Ash and Latias. But before the Eon Pokemon could retalliate, the Pokeball sucked him in and he was captured.

* * *

"Pikachu, are you _sure_ that challenging that massive Salamence is a good idea?" Pikachu shook his head. "Well that's good enough for me! Avalugg! I choose you!" The iceberg Pokemon was released in a flash of light, hitting the ground with enough force to crack it. "Blizzard!"

* * *

'Why's there a massive electric fence here? Eh, probably nothing.'

"Pikachu, would you kindly overload that fense?" He asked. Pikachu looked incredulous, but did it nonetheless, sending a massive Thunder attack at the fense, disabling it. Slipping through the bars, Ash found himself falling off of a massive wall. Thinking fast, he released Latias, who grabbed him in a Psychic attack and levitated him down. "Thanks for the save Latias," he said. Recalling Latias, he trudged onwards, not seeing the massive footprints he was walking in. He did, however, notice that the ground was regularly rising and falling, but he chalked that to the area being a crag.

Pikachu noticed the Tyrantrum before he did, and so he chose the wisest course of action. Jumping off of Ash's shoulder and sprinting the other way. Ash, on the other hand, didn't notice until he had practically bumped into the dinosaur. But when he did notice, he froze. 'It's okay Ash' he thought, 'Tyrantrum's vision is based on movement' At this point Tyrantrum was staring right at him. 'Don't move, and you'll be fine.' Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head.

 _"No, no it isn't Tyrantrum can see you_ _just_ _fine right now."_ So naturally, Ash didn't release any of his Pokemon. He just bolted off, Tyrantrum in hot pursuit.

* * *

"Pikachu, I think we got away." Ash had found Pikachu laying low in a crack in the ground, trying not to be seen. However, he stuck out like a sore thumb against the red ground of the crag, leading to an easy find for Ash. Pikachu nodded, panting. They were currently catching their breaths in a random cave, drinking water and resting until they felt ready to move on. However, they didn't anticipate the large flock of Noivern that was right behind him. Suddenly he felt a breath go down his spine. Slowly turning around, he came face-to-face with a Noivern. Thinking fast, he jumped backwards and released Hydreigon.

Three minutes later, Ash was tossing the Pokeball that housed his new Noivern up and down, smirking. The battle had scared the rest of the flock back deeper into the cave, so Ash didn't have to worry about anything anymore. Or so he thought. An earsplitting roar made Ash's face pale, but what really scared Ash was the massive Tyrantrum charging a Dragon Pulse... Three feet away from the enterance of the cave.

"SHIT! Steelix! I need some help!"

* * *

Ash had captured three more Pokemon in relatively the same fashion as Noivern. Dragonite, Kingdra, and Haxorus all fell to Gigalith, Hawlucha, and Floatzel respectively. Unfortunately, Ash was still running from a surprisingly persistant Tyrantrum, who had been on his tail all day. Two miles later, Ash was fed up of running. Turning around, Ash threw nine Pokeballs. With a flash, all of his Fairy-Types were revealed. Grabbing two Pokeballs as an afterthought, Ash released Garchomp and Sceptile into the fray as well. Mega-Evolving the six who could, Ash sat back and enjoyed the ass-whooping that commenced.

 **Hey! Sorry this chapter was a bit short and/or worse than my others. You see, I'm leaving for a week-long vacation as of tomorrow morning, and I won't have my laptop with me, so that means no fanfiction for me... So I wanted to get this chapter out today so you guys could at least have** _ **something**_ **for the week. Anywho, no one got last week's trivia question right :(**

 **The correct answer actually was... Espeon! In G/S Red actually had one on his team, but it was replaced by Snorlax (or Lapras, can't remember which) in HG/SS. So yeah! TheGamingPyro, Ash will now be getting a F.E.A.R.** _ **Raticate.**_ **:) Oh! And have no fear, May and Brendan will be making an appearance, along with most- if not all- main characters.**

 **Flinky- Thanks! I'm really learning as I go, so I'll keep trying to improve my chapter quality every time. Sorry about skipping the battle with Spiritomb, but Mega Diancie kicked it's butt anyway. FariesDark-Types. And about the whole Team Rocket thing... I actually didn't know that! Huh. Well anyway... Shh... I guess that didn't happen in this timeline...?**

 **That sounded weak even as I wrote it.**

 **On the subject of Team Rocket... Here's this chapter's trivia question! Which** _ **KANTO**_ **Gym Leaders were/are in Team Rocket, according to the Manga? Bonus points if you can tell me which Jhoto gym leader actaully took over Team Rocket using mind control...**


	6. Chapter Six

"You know Pikachu, I just realized something." Ash said.

"Pika?" Came his curious reply.

"Professor Oak is going to shit a brick when we get back, what with all these new Pokemon."

Pikachu tilted his head, thinking about it, then gave a happy 'Cha' as comfirmation.

* * *

Ash was currently overlooking his Dragon-Types in their training. Ash had separated his dragons into two groups- a physical attack group and a special attack group- and had them training based on that. His physical attackers were firing their special attacks into the air as long as they could hold them while his special attackers were hitting each other with their physical attacks. Ash glanced over at Tyrantrum, who was currently firing a Dragon Pulse for as long as he could hold it. Ash had thought that the fossil Pokemon would be like Charizard used to be, but he was pleasantly surprised when the dinosaur was actually pretty mellow. Ash guessed that it had something to do with the fact that Tyrantrum had gotten his butt whooped by his other Pokemon. Plus Ash had yet to see any Pokemon who actually had behavior issues on the islands, so there was that too. Ash turned his head away from Tyrantrum and looked at the rest of the Pokemon.

Ash had seperated the rest of his Pokemon into three groups. One group based on each type, and another, elite group that was made up of two or so Pokemon from each type. From the types that he had visited the islands for, he had Metagross, both Lucario, Emploeon, Nidoking, Drapion, Gardevoir, Altaria, Togekiss, both Zoroark, Pangoro, Spiritomb, Flygon, and Noivern. From the Pokemon that he already had, Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile, Primeape, Tyranitar, Infernape, and Garchomp were in this exclusive group. Those Pokemon had a very _special_ training routine... And by special he meant nearly impossible. Those were his Elites, and would be the ones to stand above the rest. Finally, above even his Elite group, was his Legendary group. The group was composed of his legendaries (no shit) and trained either on their own or with Dialga, which is what they were doing right now. The Temporal Pokemon had been more than happy to tutor his fellow legendaries, giving them boosts in power that Ash could never even dream of.

Ash shifted his thoughts back to the egg he had been 'given'. The Phione- or Manaphy- hadn't hatched yet, and it was really starting to bug him. He had left the egg in the care of Togekiss and Meganium in case it did hatch, but with each passing day Ash thought it less and less likely.

Back to more pressing matters, however, Ash had decided where he was going next. You see, the night before he had sat down at his bed and mapped out his best course. He had decided that Fighting Island would be the best plan, because he could use his fairies, he had some powerful Flying-Types already, some of his dragon-types were half flying-types and knew powerful Flying-Type moves, and he had a lot of Pokemon who could go head-to-head with fighting-types and win.

...But he wasn't taking tons of Pokemon with his this time. While he was making the list, he realized that, while taking all of his Pokemon was a good strategy in the earlier islands, he was too powerful now to take _every_ pokemon with an advantage. So for this island, he had decided on Pidgeot, Metagross, Gardevoir, Charizard, Dragonite, Hawlucha, Sylveon, and of course, Pikachu. He had been told, days ago by Arceus, that each Pokemon that he found on these islands were powerful enough to single-handedly take down Brandon's team, so where would that put him, who was strong enough to take these Pokemon down without too much trouble?

Shaking his head, he called over the six Pokemon (Pikachu was already on his shoulder). He had already debriefed all of his Pokemon on his choice, and they all backed him in it. Calling out above the noise of training, Ash said,

"Guys, I'm about to head out to Fighting Island! When I get back we'll have some more brothers and sisters, so as usual, treat them with care please!" When all his Pokemon cried their consent, Ash called for Hoopa to make a portal. When it came, Ash stepped inside.

* * *

Instantly, Ash found himself standing on a rugged terrain. There were many trees, but none of them had tops, and most of them had fist or foot marks etched into the trunk. Spinning a full 360, Ash saw that he was right on the edge of the island. Looking behind him, he could see sand and water, and beyond that, he could see his center island. Looking to the sides, he saw more 'forest' and small clearings. Looking to his front, Ash saw a massive mountain, but no snow or ice on the top. But the one thing Ash didn't see was Pokemon. On every other island, Ash had been bombarded with Pokemon around every bend, so for this island to seemingly not have any was... unsettling, to say the least.

He figured that he wouldn't find any 'mons in the forest, so he decided that the mountain would be his best choice. Summoning Pidgeot, he climbed on her back and soared towards the mountain.

When he got there, he wasn't surprised to see many craters and charred areas from fighting-type attacks, but he was surprised to see a massive cave at the base of the mountain. Shrugging, he recalled Pidgeot and walked in, only to find that the cave had electricity, and had many lights stringing the walls. Walking a little farther, Ash came to a steel door. Shrugging, Ash pushed it open and was suddenly bombarded with noise.

 _"Lllllleeeeeeeettttts get ready to ruuuuuuuuummmmmmmbbbbbllllleeeeeeeeeeee!"_

He heard. Looking around to find the source of the noise, he was shocked to see a Keldeo standing on a ledge above where he stood. Tearing his eyes away from the legendary, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight before him.

'So _this_ is where all the fighting-types were' Ash mused. And indeed, it seemed like every fighting-type on the island was in this cave- no- arena, Ash realized. And an arena it was. On the ground was a massive boxing ring, with elastic ropes and all. Surrounding the ring was a moat of water, which Ash judged to be about five feet deep. The actual cave that they were in was the entire mountain. It seemed like some Pokemon had hollowed out an entire mountain and said, "Eh, fuck it. Let's just build a boxing ring here!" Next to the ring, the moat stretched ten feet until it hit a three meter wall, which had a pretty impressive bleacher area on top. However, it wasn't the bleachers themselves that impressed Ash. It was their occupants. Because on the bleachers sat at least ten of every non-legendary fighting-type Pokemon in the world. Ash was shaken from his observations when he heard Keldeo's voice ring out,

 _"Ash! This is a different competition! I know you came here with fliers and fairies, but that_ _won't work!_ _You see, this is a straight boxing match. There are to be_ _no_ _elemental moves whatsoever, and you can't have any Pokemon who are not capable to fight this way on your party. There is a transfer machine next to where you came in if you need it."_

Needless to say, Ash was floored. A boxing match? Hell yeah! This would be awesome! He rushed over to the transfer machine and sent back Gardevoir, Metagross, Sylveon and Pidgeot, and then called upon his two Nidos, his Tyranitar, Snorlax, Krookodile, Primeape, Infernape, Heracross, Hawlucha, Feraligatr, Seismatoad, and Registeel. Once he recieved the pokeballs, he put them on their respective spots on his belt. Stepping away from the system, he looked up and nodded to Keldeo.

 _"Now that our challenger is ready... LEEEEEEETTTTTSSSS GET READY TO RUUUMMMMMMBBBBBLLLLEEEEEEEEEEE!"_ Some kind of pump-up song started playing in the background while Keldeo continued, _"From the deepest caves of water island comes our first competitor. Born an outcast, the only way to survive was to battle. Eventually battling his way to the surface, our competitor knows no bounds when it comes to fighting. He knows no mercy! He knows no fear! He is... POLIWRATH!"_ A massive cheer erupted from the crowd when a Poliwrath leaped out of a cave on the opposite side of the ring, doing a front flip before landing in the middle of the ring and waving. Ash grinned. He already knew that this would be fun. Turning his cap backwards, he grabbed a Pokeball and yelled,

"Alright then! Feraligatr! I choose you!

With a mighty roar, the crocodile Pokemon appeared in a scarlet flash and then bounded his way to the ring. Beating his chest, Feraligatr gave a challenging grin to Poliwrath, who in turn pounded its fists. Suddenly Keldeo spoke again.

 _"Now that our fighters are ready... FIGHT!"_ Instantly, Poliwrath went on the offensive, launching a flurry of punches and kicks at Feraligatr. Ash grimaced at the hits, but didn't say anything. He had decided beforehand that his Pokemon would be better off fighting on their instincts rather than his instruction. Still though, it was hard to watch.

However, he smiled when he saw Feraligatr take those hits like a man and then retalliate with a nasty right hook, throwing Poliwrath into the ropes. Unfortunately, Poliwrath used that to its advantage and used the momentum to spring back at Feraligatr, fist outstreched. Feraligatr was caught a bit off-guard, but still ducked before he was hit. As a very surprised Poliwrath was sailing over Feraligatr, Ash grinned to see that Feraligatr had shot his tail into the sky and had slapped Poliwrath with it, sending it once again into the ropes. This time, though, Poliwrath didn't spring back up. While it was slowly trying to get to its feet, Feraligatr ran over and body slammed the water-type, sending the Poliwrath into unconsiousness and causing the audience and Ash to go 'ooh'. When Feraligatr got up, he strode to the middle of the ring and started dancing, a habit that he retained from when he was a Totodile. Chuckling, Ash congratulated the victorious water-type and lobbed a Pokeball at the downed Poliwrath, capturing it without resistance.

 _"And with that gut-wrenching pile-driver, Ash and Feraligatr win the first match!"_ The crowd shook the cave with applause, _"But will they be able to handle our next fighter? Or should I say,_ _fighters?_ _These brothers lived in the Kanto Safari zone since they were all Tyogres! Spending all their free time battling, its no wonder that this trio is as strong as they come! Ladies and gentlemen, would you please give a warm welcoming to HITMONLEE, HITMONCHAN, AND HITMONTOP!"_

As if on cue (Which they probably were) the three fighters burst out of the cave and into the ring, giving a cry of their name. The three then started waving and smiling to the crowd. Ash took this opportunity to check out his competition. Hitmonchan seemed to be the biggest out of the bunch, standing a foot over Hitmonlee and three feet over Hitmontop. Ash decided to send out Charizard to combat him. As for the others, Ash decided on the Nidos. The two worked well as a team so Ash figured they could watch each others backs. Charizard, however, would do this his own way. Ash hated to admit it, but having him work as a team player would probably be a bad idea.

The six Pokemon stared each other down, no one moving a muscle, until Charizard finally snapped, shooting forwards with his wings and rotating enough to give Hitmonchan a massive double kick, sending him soaring out of the arena. However, that wasn't enough to do him in, though, Ash the Punching Pokemon quickly got up and climbed back into the arena. This spurred the other Pokemon into action. The two Nidos went into a back-to-back position, while Hitmontop started spinning. When Hitmontop had spun for about five seconds, Hitmonlee decided that it was enough and kicked the top Pokemon into the Nidos. Jumping in front of Nidoqueen, Nidoking stopped the spinning pokemon in its tracks and picked it up by its legs, allowing Nidoqueen to hit it with a massive punch. Nidoking let go, allowing Hitmontop to sail into Hitmonlee, knocking both to the ground.

Looking back over at Charizard, he saw the fire-type dodging punches left and right as if he did it every day. 'Although I guess he does, what with sparring with Lucario and whatnot' Ash mused.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Ash focused on the battle just in time to see Charizard unleash a massive punch to Hitmonchan right after one of its own, sending the surprised punching Pokemon out of the ring and sailing into the wall, knocking it out. Ash chucked a Pokeball at the downed beast, capturing it.

Meanwhile, the Nidos were slowly being backed into a corner. Hitmonlee and Hitmontop were slowly forcing them into a corner of the ring so that they could beat them without having to worry about them fleeing. Finally, the Hitmon duo succeded... Until Charizard came out of nowhere with a roundhouse kick to Hitmontop, knocking the pokemon out. Exerting a roar to let all the puny lesser Pokemon know who was in charge, Charizard shot forward with his wings and picked Hitmonlee up. Before the kicking pokemon knew it, he was fourty feet in the air staring down a very angry Charizard.

With one last roar, Charizard nodded to Nidoking and threw Hitmonlee down. When Hitmonlee was about two feet off of the ground, he found himself suddenly changing direction due to a massive double punch from both Nidos. Crashing into the wall, Hitmonlee finally fell unconsious.

* * *

Seven more Pokemon fell to Ash's team. Hariyama, Mienshao, Medicham, Blaziken, Loupunny, Gallade and Chesnaught all fell to Snorlax, Aggron, Krookodile, Hawlucha, Heracross, Seismatoad, and Infernape respectively. Ash couldn't help but chuckle when he thought back to Snorlax's match. It really was just two massive, fat Pokemon whaling on each other until one finally fell. Now however, Ash would face his biggest foe yet- Keldeo. The little beast had casually dropped that bit during some commentary after Infernape beat Chesnaught, and didn't even let it sink in before starting his introduction, which may have had a bit of 'writers embellishment'. He shook his head. He knew it was coming, after all, but still, it was surprising.

 **(A/N: You guys might be wondering why Ash never uses Pikachu anymore. Him, Charizard, and Venusaur are Ash's three most powerful Pokemon, including Legendaries. However, Pikachu is thrice (not a typo) as strong as Charizard and Venusaur. So yeah! Commence the ass-whooping!)**

"Alright Pikachu, you're up!" Keldeo had explained that this would just be a regular battle, seeing as the water-type didn't have any hands to punch. So this battle would be one of Ash's two regular battles on this island- one with Keldeo, and the other with Coballion.

Pikachu looked at Ash in surprise, but then gave a happy pika and jumped into the arena. Then Keldeo did something that surprised Ash- he shot four Hydro Pumps from his hooves and used that to levitate down from his DJ booth. However, there was still going to be commentary for this match, as Coballion soon took Keldeo's spot and started to talk.

 _"Let this battle between Keldeo of the Sacred Swords versus Pikachu, starter of Ash commence!"_

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu shot a massive bolt of lightning towards Keldeo, who couldn't dodge in time. "Follow up with a Quick Attack-powered Iron Tail!" Instantly, Pikachu shot at the disorientated Keldeo and flipped around, slamming a metallic tail into the top of Keldeo's head, shooting the legendary through the ring floor and into the stone beneath. Ash decided to keep up the offensive, shouting,

"Thunder! Then use Agility and hit 'im with a Thunder Punch!" Complying, Pikachu shot a arc of lightning into the hole he created, frying Keldeo for a solid ten seconds. Then, cutting off the power supply, Pikachu dashed back and forth a couple times, powering up Agility, then, in the blink of an eye, shot into the hole. Ash only had to wait a second before Keldeo came flying out of a new hole in the ring, knocked out.

Needless to say, Coballion was scared shitless. _'If that's the power of the Chosen One's starter, I have no chance against it! Still, I cannot go with Ash without a battle to defend my freedom. My honor will not allow it. C'mon Coballion! Get yourself together!'_ The Iron Will Pokemon thought. Clearing his throat, Coballion said

 _"Keldeo is unable to battle. The winner of this match is Pikachu!"_ As he said this, the crowd's cheers got louder and louder, until they drowned out all other noise. That is, until Coballion jumped down from the ledge. When he hit the ring, the entire mountain went silent.

 _"Are you ready for me, Coballion, leader of the Sacred Swords and destroyer of cities?"_

Ash shook his head. "Naw, Pikachu isn't battling this time." Coballion suddenly became a lot more confident. "Registeel is!"

 _"Wha-"_  
"Fire Punch!"

At speeds that should not be possible for a Pokemon that heavy, Registeel bounded across the floor, creating holes wherever he stepped, until he reached Coballion, who tried to dodge the flaming fist that Registeel threw at him. It almost worked, too. _Almost._ However, in the middle of Coballion's dodge jump, Registeel changed his fist's direction and preformed what Ash would later call a Fire Uppercut- a combonation of Sky Uppercut and Fire Punch, nailing Coballion's underside and sending him flying upwards.

However, Coballion quickly regained his composure and became cloaked in the purplish energy of Giga Impact. Using gravity as a boost, Coballion slammed into Registeel who couldn't dodge in time.

When the resulting dust cleared, Ash could see that both Registeel and Coballion were on their last legs. Turning his hat around, Ash shouted with all the determination he could muster, "REGISTEEL! GIGA IMPACT!" Soon, both Pokemon became cloaked in the telltale energy of the attack and started sprinting towards each other. It looked like there was going to be a huge collision until Ash smirked and shouted, "FLANK LEFT! THEN USE A DOUBLE FIRE PUNCH!" At the last second, Registeel ended the Giga Impact and spun to his left, charging a Fire Punch on both hands in the process and effectively dodging a very shocked Coballion's Giga Impact. Quickly turning the full 360, Registeel slammed his fists into Coballion's side, launching the legendary into the wall behind Ash.

When Coballion fell from the crater he created, Registeel gave a roar of victory. The Iron Pokemon then did a small hop, but that proved to be the last straw for the ring, and the whole floor collapsed.

Quickly recalling Registeel and capturing Coballion in front of a shocked crowd, Ash spun on his heel and quickly ran out, calling,

"I'll tell Arceus to fix this!"

 **Bam. Heres the next chapter in the Hoopa League! Not much to say there. Oh! I'm probably going to delete the Guide to 'The Hoopa League'. Sorry! I have my own reasons for that one. MegaHeracross, as of now, Ash will get a Wailord! And to everyone else who answered correctly (Everyone who answered- I need to make these harder :/) good job, but Heracross was just a** **bit** **faster. Maybe next time! As for this chapter's trivia question, well, it needs a little explaining. Recently, I've been building a competitve team for X and Y. I already had one, but meh, why not build another one, right? Theres nothing else to do in the post game! But anyway, I bred six shiny, perfect EV/IV Pokemon. (TOOK ME FUCKING FOREVER TOO)**

 **So. What color** _ **eyes**_ **does the shiny form of pokemon #48 have?**

 **What color is the 'mask' on the shiny form of Pokemon #274?**

 **What color is the tuft of hair on the shiny form of Pokemon #288**

 **What color is shiny Tyrantrum (Gray is not the right answer)**

 **What song does shiny #310 remind you of?**

 **What color are the leaves on shiny #708?**

 **You know the drill. Read and Review! ~OGPokemonMaster**


	7. Chapter Seven

"Pikachu? When we face Hoopa, there will be _no_ mercy."

"Pi."

It was a week after Ash had taken on- and beaten- Fighting Island. This was confirmed by the presences of Cobalion and Keldeo on his belt next to the five other teammates that he had taken on this island. On his team, he had Blastoise, Crawdaunt, Charizard, Cobalion and Keldeo, the Eon duo, and Pikachu, but he wished he had brought a fair bit more. Because a certain genie thought it would be funny to see him run away from a horde of rock-types. Sure, in some distant back corner of his mind, Ash was happy with it, seeing as he wouldn't have to track down the Pokemon he wanted anymore. However, that small part of his mind was quashed by the rest of his mind being decidedly pissed at the genie.

Turning another corner in the underground tunnel system he was running though- a perfect replica of Sinnoh's Underground, he duly noted- he finally emerged into a large, open cavern. Deciding to launch a sneak attack on the rock-types, he released all of his Pokemon. Once they were all out, Ash quickly filled them in on everything.

"Alright guys, we don't have much time. There are about eleven rock-types in pursuit of us right now, so we probably only have a minute or less. Basically, I want you guys to hide somewhere, preferably using Dig or flying upwards, and when they come through, I want you to attack with no mercy. When I see them coming, I will Mega Evolve you guys too. Get it? Got it? Good. Lets go."

With a battle cry, his Pokemon sprang into action, Crawdaunt and Blastoise using Dig near the enterance and Latios, Latias, and Charizard flying upwards as to not be seen. Ash just stood near a back tunnel in case things went wrong.

After about ten more seconds, Ash finally caught a glimpse of the pursuing Pokemon. Raising his arm with a shout, he Mega Evolved Blastiose, the Eon duo, and Charizard (X) that was their cue. Six Pokemon sprang from all different angles, with Pikachu jumping off of Latios, at the unsuspecting Rock-types. Ash watched as his Pokemon held off the horde of rampaging rock-types with almost no problem. He watched as, slowly, a Golem fell, then an Armaldo, then an Omastar, Kabutops, Cradily, Aerodactyl, Archeops, Aurorus, Rhyperior, Carracosta, and a Rampardos all fell one by one over the course of ten minutes.

Finally, with all the rock-types knocked out and secured in his bag, he started making his way to the arena... Or so he thought. As it turned out, he was going the complete wrong way, and that the arena wasn't even underground. No, instead, it was on top of the mountain that he was currently navigating through. So it was for that reason that a certain Pokemon thought that a little 'divine interference' was necessary.

So when a portal appeared under Ash's feet, it went without saying that he was surprised. However, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise when he found himself standing in the trainers box of the island's arena. Looking around, Ash saw why Hoopa gave him the portal. He would've _never_ found this arena, due to the fact that he was completely underground and that there was no directions to the arena. He probably would've kept wandering underground until he either found the water pool or a way out.

Turning his gaze to the other side of the arena, he saw that the legendaries weren't going to bother with flashy entrances- Regirock and Terrakion were standing right there. Suddenly, a deep baritone rang out.

 _"Glad you could join us, Ash."_ Terrakion called.

 _"Yeah, we were beginning to think that you wouldn't ever show up"_ Another voice said- Regirock.

 _"So lets just cut the crap and get to the battle."_ A grin split Ash's features.

 _"So hows 'bout a double battle?"_

In response, Ash threw two Pokeballs- Crawdaunt and Charizard.

Taking the initiative, Ash yelled, "Crawdaunt, Barrier! Charizard, cover Crawdaunt until he's done!" Crawdaunt started dancing and waving his claws around, creating a bluish barrier around the two Pokemon that would lessen physical attacks for a while. Barrier was a strange attack. It could be used to flat-out protect yourself from any physical attack if you were being attacked, or it could be used over a span of five minutes to lessen all physical attacks against the user. It was a multi-purpose attack, and Ash liked that.

Shaking his head, Ash regained focus on the battle. He saw that Charizard and Crawdaunt were back-to-back and defending against the two legendaries. Suddenly, Ash saw both Terrakion and Regirock light up in the purplish energy of Giga Impact. The two legendaries charged full-force at Ash's Pokemon until...

Regirock and Terrakion hit each other, courtesy of Charizard grabbing Crawdaunt and flying upwards. Nodding to each other, Charizard threw Crawdaunt straight down. Ash was about to yell at Charizard- he didn't think he would intentionally KO one of his teammates, but paused mid-scream as he saw Crawdaunt charging a double Crabhammer. With all his might, Crawdaunt slammed both of his water-coated claws into Regirock, knocking him back some feet and dealing massive damage. However, what neither anticipated was that Regirock had a super fast recovery period. So while Crawdaunt was running towards him for a follow-up, Regirock was already charging a Thunder attack.

"Crawdaunt! Dodge left!" Ash yelled, but it was too late. The Rock Pokemon unleashed a massive stream of electricity at the lobster who was desperately trying to dodge. To Crawdaunt's credit, he didn't fall from that attack, and Ash was about to call for a counter-attack when he saw the familiar static of paralysis dancing over Crawdaunt's body.

Ash cursed under his breath when he saw Regirock notice the paralysis too and charge forward with a Hammer Arm in both of his arms.

"DODGE!" Ash yelled, but paralysis took over and Regirock hit Crawdaunt with two super-effective attacks, knocking the water-type out. Again, Ash cursed under his breath, but recalled Crawdaunt with a word of praise and thanks. Then he turned to Charizard, who was currently dodging Terrakion's attacks like it was nothing.

"Hey Charizard! Crawdaunt's been knocked out, so now you've got two legendaries on you! It'll be tough, but I know you can do it!"

Charizard roared.

"Y? Alright! Charizard! Mega Evolve, Y!"

_Charizard POV_

'Ah HELL yeah!' I thought as the familiar power coursed through my veins. I could feel my appearance changing, along with my inner fire growing. Almost instinctively, I launched the brightest Sunny Day I've ever done, blinding both legendaries and my trainer, who I heard groan at the bright light.

Whoops.

I didn't really care though, so I took the time to rocket toward Regirock and punch him- not even bothering to use an attack- in the face. As he staggered back, I shot forward again and picked him up in a Seismic Toss (My favorite attack, by the way) and slammed him against the ground twice, effectively knocking him out.

Exerting a roar to let every Pokemon on the island know that I was their superior, I lobbed Regirock near where Ash was and then flew into the sky, above my Sunny Day.

I could see the silhouette of Terrakion stumbling around trying to find me in the light, so I shot down right in front of him, punching him square in the face with a Power-Up Punch. It knocked him right on the edge of the battlefield, which was also the edge of the mountain, so I capitalized on the situation.

I kicked him off the mountain.

16,391 feet.

Onto rockhard ground.

But he wasn't knocked out. Not yet. So I launched a Smokescreen at Terrakion, blinding him yet again. Then I silently flew down right behind him and used Defog, allowing Terrakion to regain his vision. Still right behind him, I yelled,

"Oh no! Is that a _FIRE BLAST?_ "

...The look on his face was priceless.

* * *

Picking up the downed body of Terrakion, I flew back up to where Ash was. The Sunny Day had finally worn off, and I could see that he had already captured Regirock. He was frantically looking for me and Terrakion, but didn't want to leave the trainer's box in case we were under the ground.

Its a good enough reason, I guess.

So when I dropped Terrakion unceremoniously right in front of Ash, it went without saying that he was shocked.

Finally, I unleashed my mightiest roar yet, shouting,

"THAT'S RIGHT! I'M UNBEATABLE! NO ONE CAN BEAT ME! I'M INVINCIBLE! UNSHA-"

_Regular POV_

Ash was surprised enough when the Sunny Day faded and Regirock was laying three feet in front of him, knocked out. But when Charizard dumped Terrakion's body right in front of him, he nearly had a heart attack. He was going to ask Charizard how he managed to do it, but decided against looking a gift Ponyta in the mouth and instead just threw a Heavy Ball at the legendary. Looking back at Charizard, he was unsurprised that the still Mega-Evolved fire type was exerting a roar longer than most speeches, but he decided to let Charizard continue. After all, he _did_ knock out two legendaries who had a type advantage over him.

Later that night, Ash was sitting around a bonfire with all of his Pokemon, listening to Charizard recount the earlier events, with Crawdaunt piping up every once and a while to presumably tell his side of the battle. The story had the undivided attention of every Pokemon present except the Pikachu, Venusaur, and the two legendaries who Charizard was talking about. Eventually though, the fire dwindled out and even Charizard got tired.

And so Ash fell asleep, all his Pokemon curled up beside him.

* * *

The next morning, he woke up to God staring down at him.

So he screamed, waking all his Pokemon up, minus Pikachu, who was already up and probably raiding the kitchen. He was proven right when the mouse ran out of the house with a bottle of ketchup in his arms, looking quite alarmed at the sudden noise.

Arceus chuckled.

 _"You're probably wondering why I'm here."_ When Ash nodded, Arceus continued.

 _"Well, you see, I thought about the League you were thinking about creating."_

Ash was shocked. "How'd you know?" He asked.

 _"I'm God."_ Arceus deadpanned. _"Plus I read Chapter Three."_

"What?"

 _"Nevermind. Anyway, I'm on board with the idea. However, the trainers that you were thinking of are nowhere near powerful enought to be considered Elemental Masters. So heres the deal. I'll teleport eighteen trainers of your choice here, right now. These trainers will each take on the islands of their type and will train there until they are strong enough to capture the legendaries present. They also must capture at least one of every Pokemon of their type while on the island. I will create duplicates of the legendaries for each of them so that they could capture them while leaving the originals for you to capture. Once they complete the island, I'll let them give me designs for a mansion of that island, which will become their home. Is this acceptable?"_

"YEAH!"

 _"Good. Now who are your trainers?"_

Ash thought. "Well, you see, I don't have eighteen in mind right now. I just don't personally know enough people that specialize in a certain type! Sure, I could just ask Gym Leaders- I know most of those guys pretty well, but I'd rather it be people I'm close with. But, I do have a few in mind."

"Misty and Brock. Max Maple, Iris, Cilan, and Clemont."

 _"Is that all?"_

Ash nodded.

 _"Can I ask you to include Jessie and James for the Poison Type? They were hunted by Team Rocket after they quit because they realized that they weren't truly evil. They actually showed up at your house a few days ago while you were in Kalos and were looking for you."_

Ash was a bit skeptical, but if the Alpha Pokemon thought they were good now, then who was he to argue. "Sure," he said.

"When I get back to Earth, I'll ask Gym Leaders about it. I've already got people in mind."

 _"Then I'll just teleport them here and you can ask them about it."_

"Alright. Then Viola, Brawly, Flannery, Winona, Morty, Candice, Norman, and Steven Stone. (Wallace is Champion as of now)

 _"You're still missing Dark, Fairy, and Ground."_

Ash shrugged. "I can't think of any more right now," he said.

 _"Then so be it. Ash's Pokemon? Please create a circle twenty feet in diameter."_ The Pokemon rushed to do as the Alpha Pokemon commanded. Once they completed it, Arceus glowed, and fifteen people appeared in the training field.

"What the _fuck_?!" And it was Misty who spoke first. "Where the _hell_ are we?" Ash?! Is that you? What's going on? Brock? Why are Jessie, James, and Meowth here?! Someone better explain right now."

There was a murmur of agreement among the others. Ash took a deep breath.

"Alright guys, this is going to be a hard one to explain. Standing to my right is Arceus, who I'm sure needs no introduction, and he will also be proof of my claims. Clemont, you probably already have an idea of what this is about, seeing as you were with me when I left."

"Basically, I picked you guys to be a part of the greatest Pokemon League that will ever exist. If you guys accept, you will be transported to an island completely dedicated to your type, where you will capture every single Pokemon of your type-"

Cilan spoke up, "Does that include..."

Ash nodded. "Yes, that includes legendaries. When you're there, you guys will train and become the greatest master of your type that ever walked the Earth. Once you have a feel for the island, Arceus will come around and create you a mansion on the island. Now, I know that some of you are gym leaders. If you guys don't want to do this, I totally understand. Just speak up now and I'll let you go back, no questions asked, no hard feelings."

No one spoke up. A massive grin split Ash's features.

"Then lets do it! Get ready guys, you're in for a heck of a challenge. Feel free to use five or six of your Pokemon on each wild Pokemon!" And then they were gone, teleported away to their islands.

'Alright. Now lets get to training.'

_MISTY POV_

'This might be the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.' I thought. 'I'm swimming through underwater tunnels with the ability to befriend and capture every water-type Pokemon in existence, legendaries included.' Turning a corner, I saw a lone Gorebyss sleeping on the seabed. Swimming over to it, I nudged it awake and held up a Pokeball, asking it for a battle. When the Pokemon nodded, I smiled through my re-breather and released my Starmie. Then all hell broke loose.

_BROCK POV_

'How long is this cave system?' I thought. I had been aimlessly wandering throughout the complex network of caves for hours now, coming upon a Pokemon only every once and a while. I palmed the two Pokeballs housing the two creatures that I had already captured- Pupitar and Rhydon. Those two, while still not fully evolved, had given me the two hardest fights of my life. It had taken all six of my Pokemon to take Pupitar down, and even then it was just barely. If it wasn't for the fact that somehow my Pokemon would fully heal every time I would recall them, I never would've stood a chance against Rhydon, my second capture. I had already decided to call it quits and go outside to train with my Pokemon, but that just wasn't to be...

"WHERE IS THE EXIT?!"

_MAX POV_

"This is cool," I said to Gallade.

"Yeah. It was nice of Ash to remember us like that. How'd he know that you were going to specialize in Psychic Types?"

"Not sure. Lucky guess? Maybe he's a Psychic? Either way, I'm glad we get to be a part of this. I'm thinking we find one Pokemon and battle it, just to see how strong they are here. After all, Ash did encourage us to use five or six of our Pokemon against just one of the wild Pokemon here." Gallade nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. Hey, there's a Delphox right over there!" I looked over to where my starter was gesturing. Sure enough, a Delphox was milling around in a clearing about twenty feet away from us.

"Lets go battle it! Hey Delphox! May we please battle you?"

The Fire-Psychic type looked over at me and smiled, getting into a fighting stance.

"Alright! Sweet! Slowking, Claydol, Metang, Grumpig, Kadabra! I choose you guys!"

_IRIS POV_

'Why does this waterway have a bunch of massive holes in it? Ah well, at least it makes it easier for me to get past it!' I thought. I turned to Haxorus, who was walking beside me through the waist-deep water. "C'mon buddy! I can't wait to see what other Dragon-Types are waiting for us here!"

I had already captured a Gabite after the little beast gave me the hardest battle I'd ever been a part of. Heeding Ash's warning, I used all six of my Pokemon against the pseudo-legendary, even though I thought that it was a bit overkill. However, I was dead wrong. In less than five minutes, only my Haxorus was left, while Gabite was still at half health. But then I scored a lucky Draco Meteor and the tides turned in my favor, allowing me to win against the dual-type. Suddenly I was knocked over into the water. I quickly turned to Haxorus, thinking it was a prank of his, but when I saw him six feet away, I started to wonder what had hit me. And then I heard giggling coming from my right.

"C'mon Haxorus! We've got a battle coming up!"

 **CUT! That's it for this chapter. Speaking of this chapter, I hate it. Now because I necessarily think that it's** _ **bad**_ **, its just that I had a** _ **waaaaaaayyyyy**_ **longer chapter written for it, but then I opened it on the day I was going to upload it and BAM! This is what the chapter looked like:**

 **[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]. Yeah. Every word was replaced with BRACKETS. Like, seriously? What the hell! So I had to rewrite the entire thing from scratch. The original chapter actually ended with the bonfire scene, but I decided to initiate the formation of the League in this chapter as a way of saying sorry.**

 **Anyway, onto reviews!**

 **The Creator: You have no idea how much your constant support means to me. You actually read my fucking mind on your last review. Seriously! An hour before I wrote the last chapter, I played a game for inspiration. Can you guess which one it was? Hint: The first two words are MIKE TYSON'S. Anyway, Primal Mega Arceus. Yeah. That'll be badass** **when** **it happens. You see, I think it will because of my second favorite Pokemon spin-off game: Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/whatever the fuck the third one was called I played Time. We already** _ **have**_ **a Primal Dialga, and SPOILER ALERT! He's fucking back in this story. Yup! Like Primal Kyogre and Groudon, the Adamant Orb will revert Dialga back to his Primal Form... Except he won't be evil and shit and command a bunch of Dusknoirs and Sableyes.**

 **SURPRISE** **BITCHES! I kept this secret for a while, but I was dropping hints a lot about it. You see, in this story, Spiritomb** _ **is**_ **a legendary. On my first, blind run of Diamond, I thought Spiritomb was a legendary. So, to humor myself, I made him one in this story. All that means is that he's more powerful than before. So yeah!**

 **...Want another teaser for what will happen** _ **after**_ **the islands arc? Check out Chapter Five of my other story, TbaM, and see it all unfold! Its not really a chapter, its more of a thousand or so words of a teaser.**

 **Anyway, big question! I need three OCs. Yep, I bet you saw this one coming. I need three type specialists: One Ground Type, one Fairy Type, and one Dark Type. I know, I could use Clay, Valarie, and Karen, but I don't like Clay, Valarie creeps me the fuck out, and Karen is part of the Elite Four. So basically, I'll pick the three I like the most. To submit one, review:**

 **Name:**

 **Appearance:**

 **Signature Pokemon: (Preferably NOT legendary, but they** _ **will**_ **have legendaries)**

 **Home Region/Town:**

 **Alrighty then! See you next time!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Happy Independence Day from your favorite Canadian author! Lol JK I'm not even my favorite Canadian author...**

 _"Long time no see, Ash!"_

"Yeah, it has been a while. How's it going, Dialga?"

Dialga smiled _. "Oh, about the usual. You know, keeping time in check and helping your legendaries."_

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks again for doing that, it's helped me a lot. I'd be clueless on how to train them if it weren't for you." I said. Dialga brushed it off, waving a paw and saying,

 _"Oh it was nothing. As a matter of fact I like doing it!"_ Dialga said.

Ash scoffed, "I wouldn't say training a bunch of legendaries is nothing. Seriously, thanks a lot. Is there anything I could do for you as thanks?"

Dialga quickly shook his head, saying, _"Well... Actually, nevermind. It's nothing."_

Ash, however, didn't want to let him brush the subject off that easily. "C'mon Dialga. Whatever it is that you were about to say, I would love to do it."

 _"Well, on Sky Island, there is an orb that is rather important to me hidden somewhere on the island. I would go myself, but I'd rather not leave this island in case of an emergency."_

Ash nodded, understanding. "So you want me to find the Adamant Orb somewhere on Sky Island? That actually works out, I was heading there next anyway."

Dialga nodded, but then recoiled and asked, _"Wait. How'd you know I was talking about the Adamant Orb?"_ Ash shrugged.

"I remember that orb being important to you from Team Galactic." Dialga nodded.

 _"Oh, alright."_

Ash stood up from where he was sitting.

"Well, I'd better get going. The Adamant Orb and new friends await me! I'll see you later Dialga. Thanks again for everything."

Dialga raised a leg in a farewell gesture. _"Alright Ash. Good luck!"_

* * *

Ash was taking one last once-over on his Pokemon on supplies. He brushed his hand over his belt, checking to see if his seven chosen Pokemon were present. Once he confirmed that Kabutops, Aerodactyl, Glalie, Swellow, Torkoal, Aurorus, and Goodra were secured on his belt, he brushed his hand over his pocket, making sure that Metagross' Pokeball was in there. A powerhouse team, that was for sure, but he had them for a reason. All the Pokemon on this specific team were Alpha-Ranks, so he wanted to see how they would hold up against an Alpha-Rank Legendary. This wouldn't happen more than once or twice more before he completed the islands, but he still wanted to test his and his team's strength. He instinctively checked his shoulder for Pikachu, only to remember that he was sitting this island out due to his electric attacks being prone to hit everything in the air. Plus the little mouse had a fear of heights, so this was one of two islands that he was staying back on.

You see, Hoopa had warped in about an hour prior to let Ash know that the majority of the island was sky-based, meaning that Ash needed some kind of aerial transport. Sure, he could've rode Aerodactyl, but he'd rather have him be able to participate in battles, plus Metagross could use Psychic to catch him if he fell. And if for some reason, that failed too, Ash had Latios' Pokeball clipped onto a necklace. Since he had already used the older of the Eon Pokemon during the last island, he didn't want to use him unless absolutely necessary. Also, in his bag he had his Pokedex, which Professor Sycamore had long since upgraded to be able to detect Mega Stones. He figured that it would work on the Adamant Orb, since he had once had to use it to find the Red and Blue Orbs before Team Magma and Team Aqua.

Once he knew he had everything ready, he waved goodbye to his Pokemon who were watching him depart in the training field, and jumped into the portal.

* * *

A couple seconds later, Ash found himself lying facedown in grass. Turning over to get a better view, he saw that he was near the middle of a clearing surrounded by dense woods. Squinting, he could catch many glimpses of nests scattered around the branches and treetops. Standing up to get a better look, he saw that the entire island was shaped like an upside-down cone, with the clearing being in the middle. He could see the treetops steadily rising in every direction, and the further he looked, the more Flying-Type Pokemon he could see. Exited, he turned around and was going to release Metagross until he saw something that left his jaw on the ground.

About ten feet in front of him was a tree bigger than most mountains. But it wasn't tall and thin. No, the tree was thicker than most Wailords, and stretched until Ash couldn't see it anymore because of a thick layer of clouds.

'I've _got_ to climb that'

* * *

An hour of climbing later, Ash was sitting on a branch that was higher than most peaks, looking out over the island. From this height, he could see that he was wrong about the shape of the island- it was totally flat, perfect circle. The treetops just got higher the closer you got to the edges of the island, creating the illusion of a funnel shape. Looking up, Ash was hit with a wave of vertigo, driving the trainer to tighten his grip on the branches. He was still not above the clouds yet, but he was determined to make it there. Scooting past a nest of newborn Starlys, he shimmied back to the trunk and began his ascent once again.

A while later, he was nearing the cloud layer. The Pokemon nests had became more and more sparse as he climbed, making Ash wonder if he was going to find any Pokemon above the clouds or if this entire trip was a waste. Deciding against starting the trek back down, he continued climbing until he finally hit the cloud layer. As soon as he poked his head into the clouds, it was soaked and cold, and he couldn't see anything. Calling out Metagross for support, he felt around for any branches higher than him. Finding one to his upper left, he grabbed it and pulled himself up and over the clouds. What awaited him was a sight that he would never forget.

Every Flying-Type Pokemon Ash had ever seen was flying around up here in the stratosphere, battling, conversing, or doing tricks that looked like they came out of a Pokemon Circus. Snapping himself out of it, he looked up one more time and saw that the top of the tree was a mere ten feet above him. Squinting, he could see a piece of paper secured between two branches at the very top. Climbing the last bit, he wrapped one arm around the tree and grabbed the paper with the other. Quickly reading it, he pulled out a match and burned the paper. Because instead of a congratulations note or a coupon to somewhere, it was a simple note from Hoopa.

' _Wow. Such climb. Many branch. Go you._ '

Shaking his head at the Mischief Pokemon and clambering onto Metagross, he directed her over to a Braviary that caught his eye. It stuck out to him because instead of the regular red and white color scheme or the blue and white color scheme of a shiny Braviary, this one had a blue head with white dots, a white body, and its wings were striped red and white.

 _"What the he-"_ Metagross began, but was cut off by the most majestic sound Ash had ever heard- the Braviary squawking. The sound was pure and vaguely reminded Ash of freedom, although that didn't make sense to him. Either way though, Ash knew he had to capture this one.

"Glalie! I choose you!" Out from the ball came Ash's first Ice-Type, ready to battle and already dropping the temperature. Instantly, Braviary sprung into action, shooting a...

"Okay. What in the hell is going on. Is that a black _Bullet Seed_? And is he firing them from his _wings?_ " Ash stammered.

Metagross was almost speechless as well, only giving a shake of her head (or body) in response.

The attack didn't do much more than stun Glalie, who didn't even wait for Ash's orders to know to retaliate with an Ice Beam. Shooting the beam from his mouth, Glalie froze Braviary's wings and the poor bird plummeted down to the earth.

"OH SHIT! Latios! I need your help! Metagross and Glalie, return!" Preforming a feat that would make most aviators jealous, Ash jumped off of the fading form of Metagross and onto the still-appearing Latios. Leaning into his neck, the two shot down after Braviary and eventually caught up to the bird. As they were falling/flying neck and neck, Ash was desperately trying to think of a plan. Eventually, he settled on the simple one.

"Psychic!" he yelled over the wind.

Instantly, Braviary was enveloped in a purple coating, slowing his descent to a safe pace and breaking the ice on its wings. Still though, Ash held his breath until both parties were safely on the ground, where Braviary didn't know what it wanted to say to Ash. On one hand, it was grateful that the trainer saved him from some heavy damage, but on the other hand, the trainer was the one to cause the damage anyway. Eventually though, he decided on pecking an empty Pokeball, using some of its powers to turn the ball into a sphere that matched his color scheme. Staring at the now-multicolored sphere that housed the strange Braviary, Ash didn't even try to make a comment on it. The only think that he could say was,

"Well, that happened. Lets just go find Dialga's Adamant Orb." Without waiting for a response, he recalled Latios and started walking in a random direction.

* * *

The first shrine Ash came across was pretty huge. It was a large dip in the otherwise perfectly flat ground that was devoid of any plant life. Instead, two streams of red and silver water snaked around the lowered ground leading to a small shrine in the middle which housed what seemed to be two artifacts that Ash couldn't identify due to a stone casing around the outside of both of the relics. Ash slowly walked up to the shrine, taking in the beauty of the area before slowly reaching his hand out towards the stone objects. As his fingers stretched closer, he was bombarded with memories of his first day as a trainer, Tin Tower, the Whirl Islands, and Shamouti Island. Finally, after what seemed like a week of reliving his memories, he touched the stone relic...

...And was immediately sucked up in a tornado.

 _"SURPRISE MOTHAFUCKA"_ Came a shrieking voice from outside the tornado he was currently bouncing around in. Oddly enough, the tornado didn't seem to be doing any damage to him or the surroundings, at least thats what he thought of the blurry images he saw through the wind. Managing to force his hand to his belt, he pressed the first Pokeball he touched and hoped for the best. His prayer was answered a moment later when Goodra emerged and dropped to the ground. Seeing the danger her trainer was in, Goodra launched a Twister to counteract the tornado.

The move was actually a stroke of genius by Goodra. She had mastered the attack to such a degree that she could control the direction the move spun in, effectively counteracting the tornado Ash was in and freeing him from the wind's grasp. Once he was back on the ground, he looked up at the only Pokemon that could've caused that twister-

"Tornadus."

 _"Wassup? I've been waiting around for a while now. You know, waiting for you to get to one of these shrines and such. Now that your here, lets battle already!"_

Without waiting for an answer, Tornadus launched an Air Cutter at Goodra, which was countered by a Dragon Pulse, which both dispersed the Air Cutter and managed to hit Tornadus for some decent damage.

Shrugging the damage off, Tornadus charged at Goodra with a Brick Break, which Goodra sidestepped. Unfortunately, it was a feint, and Tornadus used Grass Knot when Goodra was in midair, catching the dragon-type's leg and slamming her against the ground, using her own weight against her. Shaking her leg out of the trap, Goodra rose slowly to her feet with a look of determination in her eyes.

And then she went to sleep.

Ash smiled.

"Sleep Talk- Thunder!"

Goodra, along with every other one of Ash's Pokemon, had trained extensively to be able to control the move that followed up using the 'random' attack, creating a true force to be reckoned with. While Tornadus was charging in with a Brick Break, Goodra suddenly shot up and met him with a Thunder, surprising Tornadus and doing heavy damage to the genie. Still though, it was not enough to put him out, so Ash said,

"Sleep Talk- Substitute!"

Following his command, Goodra disappeared into some pocket dimension, leaving behind a large stuffed animal for Tornadus to attack. Suddenly, the Substitute's mouth opened and a Flamethrower shot out, hitting Tornadus and doing minor damage. Unfortunately for Tornadus, though, the Thunder attack that followed it up did _massive_ damage. Enough to knock it out, as a matter of a fact. Reaching in his side pocket, he grabbed a normal Ultra Ball and tossed it at Tornadus, capturing it.

Looking behind him at the still-undamaged shrine, he saw that the stone casing around the artifacts had crumbled, leaving behind what Ash knew to be a Silver Wing and a Rainbow Wing. Ash's eyes widened at seeing the two infinitely valuable items here, but shrugged it off, chalking their appearance here as yet another unexplained oddity in the Pokemon universe. Suddenly, Ash heard a voice calling out to him.

"Hey Ash!" Winona called out to him. Looking around, he couldn't find her, until he heard giggling above him. "Up here, you doofus!" Looking up, Ash saw Winona sitting on a strong-looking Staraptor, clutching something in her arms. When the Staraptor landed, Ash got a good glimpse of what the former Gym Leader was holding. In her hands was a Soul Dew, which was constantly shifting colors, like water in a glass container.

"A couple minutes ago I was exploring some weird shrine and then all this stone crumbled just out of nowhere, leaving this behind! It never had happened when I was exploring any of the other ruins, so I figured that someone else must've caused it. And, well, you've got an affinity for trouble. So I came looking, and here you are!" Winona happily said, shoving the Soul Dew into his hands.

"Th-Thanks! So there are more of these around here?" Ash asked. When Winona nodded, Ash asked, "You didn't happen to see one with any decorations relation to time or space, did you?" Winona shook her head, confused.

"No, I can't say that I have. Why?" She asked.

"Eh, not much, just an errand for someone. Anyway, I have someone who might want to see this Soul Dew here." Pulling his necklace out of his shirt, he released Latios, who instantly started nudging the Soul Dew in Ash's hands.

"You have a Latios?" Winona asked, shocked.

"Uh, yeah. I've actually got quite a bit of legendaries, so you might want to get used to them. Heck, you'll capture a fair bit yourself- I think around nine legendaries are flying-typed. Thats a pretty good haul, especially since you have Pokemon like Ho-Oh, Lugia, Rayquaza, and the Kanto Bird trio in there. She nodded.

"Yeah, I still haven't quite gotten over the fact that I'll be capturing legendaries myself. Well, it was good talking to you, but I'm gonna go back to my house and train. If you're interested, it's going to be build around the bottom of the massive tree in the middle of the island. Well, see ya!" And then she flew off on her Staraptor.

Well, that was nice seeing her, wasn't it Lati- LATIOS WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Ash yelled. The Eon Pokemon was using Crunch on the Stone, breaking the priceless artifact into two smaller Soul Dews.

 _"Latias needs one. We absorb these, you know..."_ Ash scratched the back of his head, apologizing, "Oh. Sorry Latios, I thought you were destroying it."

 _"It's okay Ash. No harm done."_

* * *

A few minutes later, Ash was walking through another part of the forest when he came upon another dip in the ground. However, instead of the red and silver streams that snaked around the GS Shrine- as Ash had taken to calling it- three multicolored streams of water ran through the dip, which had a marble floor this time instead of a dirt floor like the other one. Instead, the streams were strikingly pure shades of blue, red, and green. Taking care to not disturb the smooth water, Ash made his way up to the center of the dip. As he walked, he was again bombarded by memories, but this time they were of Monsoon Island, Sky Pillar, Desser City, and Teams Aqua and Magma. When he snapped out of his thoughts, he saw that he had been subconsciously walking closer and closer to the shrine, almost to the point where he was touching the objects in the stone shrine. Looking into it, he saw that there were three spheres, two of which Ash recognized: The Red and Blue Orbs. However, the third sphere shone with a bright green color. He figured the orb had something to do with Rayquaza, like the others had a correlation with Groudon and Kyogre. Grabbing all the orbs one by one, Ash deposited them into his infinitely huge bag and continued moving.

About thirty seconds later, Ash saw a Dodrio resting under a tree. Eager to capture the bird, he jogged up to it and tapped it's middle head, waking the groggy bird up. Slowly, its six eyes opened and snapped to attention as they noticed Ash standing before them. Standing up, the Dodrio ran about ten yards and then turned around, lowering its body into what Ash deemed to be a fighting stance. Smirking, Ash released Torkoal to battle the bird. When the tortoise popped out from his ball, Ash started the battle.

"Flamethrower!" He began, gesturing at the flying-type. "Then use a Stone Edge!" The fire-type opened his mouth and shot a stream of red-hot flame at Dodrio, which the bird calmly jumped over while running at Torkoal. However, the bird couldn't dodge the Stone Edge that erupted from the ground right under it as it was still in midair, and so Dodrio was hit straight-on by the super-effective attack. Unfortunately for Torkoal though, Dodrio quickly got up and continued it's charge at the fire-type, beaks glowing in the familiar light of Drill Peck. Seeing this, Ash hastily yelled, "Protect!" A barrier shot up around the turtle, but not soon enough, as Dodrio had already closed the gap and was actually _inside_ the Protect, allowing the bird to bombard Torkoal with Drill Pecks.

Ash wasn't too worried though. Torkoal had a massive defense stat, allowing him to take the attacks from Dodrio without too much pain. Still though, eventually it would do some damage, so Ash called, "Fire Blast!" While the tortoise was still being hit with Drill Pecks and the occasional Mega Kick, the pokemon opened his mouth and hit Dodrio with a point blank blast of fire, knocking Dodrio out.

Ash pumped his fist.

"Alright! Good job Torkoal!" He exclaimed, lobbing a Pokeball at the felled flying type.

* * *

The day had gone on, and Ash had collected many other artifacts in various other shrines across the island. He now had the Red, Blue, and Jade Orbs, the Azure Flute, Light and Dark Stones, and the Reveal Glass, but he still had no sign of the Adamant Orb or the shrine it was housed in. 'Unless it's not even in a shrine and its buried somewhere' the back part of Ash's mind said. He shuddered at the thought, shaking his head to clear it out. No, the Orb had to be here somewhere... Aha!

Up ahead about ten yards, there was one last dip in the ground. Running over to it, he saw that the shrine in the middle had three indents, each with a different shaped Orb. Indeed, Cyrus would've been jealous, because not only was the Adamant Orb here, but the Lustrous and Griseous Orbs were there as well. Quickly grabbing the Orbs and putting them in his sack, he shifted his mind to his next objective: Finding Lugia. On a whim, he grabbed the Silver Wing from his sack and held it up. Suddenly, a breeze picked up. The breeze got stronger and stronger until it picked Ash up and flew him though the air to the edge of the island. Once the breeze dropped him, he looked around the beach, Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, unless you counted the massive Lugia sitting on the beach staring down at him.

 _"You called?"_ Lugia asked.

"Uh, I think. Are you the Lugia from Shamouti, or the Whirl Islands, or..?"

 _"Shamouti. It's nice to see you again, Ash. So you're here to battle me? Are you sure that your ready? I'm not exactly weak."_ Lugia said.

Ash nodded. "You know, to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. But I guess theres really no way to know unless I try. So, with that in mind, Kabutops, I choose you!" When the revived fossil emerged from the Heavy Ball, Lugia wasted no time in attacking, picking Kabutops up and slamming him against the ground before the rock-type was even fully orientated. Ash grit his teeth.

"Ugh! Kabutops, use a Night Slash to break out!" Somehow, Kabutops swung his scythes around while coating them in a dark energy, using said energy to break the Psychic's hold.

Ash smirked. "Perfect!" He cheered. "Now use another Night Slash on Lugia!" The fossil pokemon charged forward at the legendary, scythes still cloaked in the dark energy, disrupting any Psychic Lugia tried to throw at them, and was almost two feet away from Lugia when the legendary shot an Aeroblast at him.

"JUMP!" Ash screamed. Kabutops instantly complied, jumping up and over the Aeroblast.

"Now Rock Blast!" Ash followed up. As Lugia was turning his head up to look at Kabutops, the rock-type blasted a barrage of rocks at the legendary, doing heavy super-effective damage due to Lugia's part flying typing. However, the legendary was quick to retaliate with a Surf attack, smashing Kabutops with a massive wave which knocked him back a solid twenty yards and did heavy super-effective damage as well. Ash grit his teeth. Lugia was truly in a whole different league than pokemon like Tornadus and Registeel. Still though, Ash wouldn't give up. Looking down, he put his hand up to his head and slowly turned his hat backwards.

Snapping his head upwards, he looked at Lugia with a new fire burning in his eyes. Smirking, he pointed at the legendary and yelled,

"Rock Wrecker!" Summoning a massive boulder from the sand, Kabutops shot it at Lugia. The legendary was quick to shoot an Air Cutter at it, slowly breaking the boulder as it flew at him. Ash smirked. This was exactly what he wanted Lugia to do. Pointing at Lugia with a flourish, he yelled,

"Jump through it and use a Night Slash!"

Complying, Kabutops jumped through the boulder just as it broke two feet away from Lugia's face and hit the bird with a Night Slash, dealing massive damage. Then, the fossil Pokemon shot many green vine-looking things at Lugia, which latched onto the bird and started transferring Lugia's energy to Kabutops. Ash smirked.

"Let's finish this! Use the vines to slam Lugia into the ground and then use STONE EDGE!" Using the vines that were already attached to the legendary, Kabutops jerked his scythes in a downward motion and Lugia fell right into a Stone Edge, finally pushing the legendary over the edge and knocking him out.

As Ash looked at Lugia's unconscious body, he could only think one thing as he collapsed to his knees.

'I defeated a Lugia. No. _WE_ defeated Lugia.'

* * *

Back at home, Ash was telling the story of the island to all the Pokemon who weren't there, Kabutops, Torkoal, Glalie, Latios, Goodra, and Metagross interjecting every once and a while with their sides of the tale, including Lugia's defeat at the hands of Kabutops, and the weird Braviary who was currently flying around with his other Flying-Types, which now included Lugia as well. He was still in a stupor over having the legendary on his team. Sure, he had many other legendaries, but to have the very same legendary who first showed Ash the power of the beasts was absolutely amazing. (Mewtwo and Mew did, but he didn't remember that until Kalos.) Speaking of his new flying-types, Dodrio was actually getting along quite well with Ash's normal and fire types. The bird was playing some sort of running game with Typhlosion and his thirty Tauros, and seemed to be enjoying himself. He would've stood there forever with his Pokemon, but he knew he wasn't done for today. Not yet. So calling Empoleon over, Ash gathered his stuff and swam to Steel Island.

* * *

 _"Ash! How'd Flying Island go?"_ Dialga called over to him once he arrived.

"It was great! I caught this really odd Braviary and a Dodrio. Plus I got Tornadus and a bunch of legendary artifacts!"

 _"Awesome! So does that mean that you got the Adamant Orb?"_ Dialga inquired with glee. In response, Ash opened his bag and pulled out the Orb, tossing it over to Dialga, who had a massive grin on his face.

 _"YES! I've been wanting this back for sooooo long. It was a horrible idea to let Hoopa know where I kept it."_ Ash laughed too.

"Oh! I almost forgot! I caught Lugia too!" At this, the cavern went silent. Not even the few steel-types that were milling around dared to move after what Ash just said. Finally, Dialga snapped out of his shock and said,

 _"Come again?"_

Ash nodded. "Yeah, it was a really hard battle, but eventually Kabutops defeated Lugia and I caught him!" After this, Dialga was silent.

 _'Has he really come that far that fast? If he were to challenge me right now, could I defeat him? What about in a month, or whenever he comes back? Will I even stand a chance against him?'_ The primal being thought. Concerned, Ash asked,

"Dialga, are you okay?"

Breaking himself out of it, Dialga put on a fake smile and replied,

 _"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just thinking, thats all."_ Dialga was relieved when Ash seemed to buy it, and decided to continue after a long pause.

 _"Well anyway, do you want to see what Primal Dialga looks like? I know I want to."_ Ash grinned like a madman.

"Heck yeah! Do it!" He exclaimed. Dialga smiled

 _"Alright. Lets do it."_ After he said that, Dialga closed his eyes, concentrating. Suddenly, the Time Pokemon erupted in a bright blue light, forcing Ash to look away. When the light died down and Ash could see clearly again, a completely different Dialga was standing there.

Starting with his chest, the left side of the star-like armor on his chest now had enolngagated spikes on the right side. His legs had sharper and longer silver armor as well, and his tail shrunk a good deal. The armor that was previously on his back shifted upwards into what looked like wings, and his head had a different armor design on it as well.

 **(www_deviantart_com/art/Mega-Primal-Dialga-484507582)**

 _"Well, what do you think?"_

"Holy shit."

Suddenly, a third voice rang out.

"Ash? And is that a _DIALGA?_ "

* * *

_Steven POV_

I was ecstatic. Giddy, even, like a child in a candy factory. Arceus had paid me a visit, which in itself, was pretty humbling and epic, but then he said that he'd create me a mansion on the island! I had heard Ash say something similar earlier, but I was still recovering from the warp lag to fully comprehend it. So when I gave Arceus a design for my dream lab that I carried around as a good luck charm, I almost fainted when not a minute later I was walking through the very house I had drawn as a teenager. Of course, I had made some modifications over the years, but I could never have dreamed to be able to afford anything like this.

I was walking down a tunnel in a basement room specifically dedicated for underground tunnels and mining when I came across a massive cavern filled with steel beams and floodlights. Confused, I glanced down at my floor plan- this wasn't a part of it. However, my shock only grew when I looked up and saw Ash casually chatting with a creature that looked like a Dialga. Wondering if I was seeing things, I called out,

"Ash? And is that a _DIALGA?_ "

I saw Ash whip his head around and Dialga look up at me, so I continued.

"Oh, that is you. I thought I was seeing things," I said, walking over to the duo. Ash titled his head, a confused look on his face. Upon my query, he simply stated,

"Out of everything here, you thought you were hallucinating _me_ instead of this _Dialga_ here?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess that I've seen so many weird things that they just don't even faze me anymore. Especially when you're involved." I added, smirking at the trainer, who sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Well, what can I say? Strange things just happen when I'm here! Anyway, this is Primal Dialga. I'm pretty sure that this is the first one ever seen, but I could be wrong. From what I understand, most legendaries have Primal Forms, or their True forms as Dialga called it. I guess in recent times they had to tone down their power or something like that," Ash explained, looking at Dialga for confirmation. When the Pokemon nodded, he continued.

"They don't use Mega Stones, like Charizard and Audino use, they use artifacts that are important to them." I nodded, understanding what Ash was saying... But,

"Is it okay if I study you, Dialga?" The beast chuckled.

 _"No, you can't. But you can definitely study a Dialga when you catch one."_ With that, another, smaller Dialga walked out from the shadows.

* * *

_Clemont POV_

"...Rock down to Electric Avenue. And then we'll take it higher." I sang, trying to keep my excitement down to a certain degree. Unfortunately, it didn't really do much to curb my adrenaline rush, which had only increased when Arceus had appeared after I caught my tenth Pokemon to build me my dream mansion, which was a simple, two-story house.

With a massive, sprawling network of labs beneath it, of course. I glanced over at my Manetric, who was socializing with my other Pokemon in the training field I had for them in the underground. The canine was currently shifting between his Mega Form and his Normal Form, thanks to a new invention of mine that emitted the same pulse of energy a Key Stone does, but keeps it constant and at a low level, allowing any Pokemon to switch to their Mega Forms so long as they have their Mega Stone. Looking away, my mind raced through thousands of potential schematics and training methods.

This was going to be a fun time.

 **Before I start with the actual AN, I just want to say something. In this fic, I'll be using fake Mega Pokemon that I think are really cool. And most of those pokemon happen to come from a Deviant Art user by the name of Phatmon66. I can't claim to personally know her, but her work is** **really** **good, so go check her out! I actually stumbled across her when I was googling Primal Dialga so that I could explain it as well as possible, and then I found that gem. I'm going to be using her other two Creation Trio Megas as well, so go check those out too :) I won't be using every single mega on her account, just my favorites, so yeah! Keep up the good work, Phatmon66!**

 **Anyway, thats all it for my rant on her. ONTO REVIEWS!**

 _ **The Creator:**_

 **Thanks a billion for reviewing again! Woo! Its actually funny that you mention Ho-Oh in Heartgold, because I thought the same thing when I caught Raikou and Entei in the first part of that game! XD. Well, I'll give you one reason Giovanni can't be the Ground-Type master: Would you trust the leader of Team Rocket to wield the power of legendaries and every ground-type Pokemon? Yeah, me neither. So thats why I'm looking for the OC. And about your question, I'd rank it... OVER 9000! Seriously, the anime has** _ **so much damn potential**_ **that they use for one movie and then are like, "fuck it. lets just throw this away." He could've gone into the SILVER CONFERENCE WITH A FUCKING LATIAS, MEWTWO, AND AN ARMY OF CLONES! But thats why I'm here, I guess. So thank you, anime writers, for fucking everything up, or else this story would be pretty much anime canon XD.**

 **And about Zero... Holy shit man. I LOVE HER! As soon as I read the review, I was like, holy shit. This is what I need. She's already in. Seriously though, I already wrote part of the island where she'll show up... Just a little spoiler: She's chilling with another Rocket experiment right now... :D And is Azumarill an okay signature for her?**

 **And yeah, I'd love to wreck you in a Pokemon battle! :P My friend code is 1289-8608-6655!**

 **'Guest'(s?): Don't worry about the Darkrai in the list. If you know Ash has one, then the list still did it's job. End. And maybe :) You'll find out soon. Or not. I don't know yet when I'll write another segment for her. Oh, and calm down about me and updating. I'll update whenever I'm home, and whenever I write the chapter.**

 **TheGamingPyro: Thanks for submitting your OC! Mark caught my eye when I read it, so theres a pretty good chance that you'll see him here. The only other thing I need from you is a last name. Sableye is a pretty cool pokemon- one of my favorites, actually. So unless someone comes up with an OC that is literally the most amazing character I've ever seen for the dark type, Mark's** _ **in.**_

 **Tony0423: Thanks for leaving me your first review! Hazel is pretty interesting, so she may make it into the fic :) I already have ideas for a completely legendary-level Igglybuff absolutely ahnilating the competition XD. And Rota! That's a pretty interesting choice! I** _ **LIKE IT!**_

 **Snowwolf12132: Hey! Thanks for calling the story cool! It really means more to me than you guys will ever know. I like your OC. Gregory is a pretty slick character, and is what I was looking for in a dark-type trainer. And I like the cities that you guys are coming up with for your trainers. I'm glad no ones going with the stereotypical towns like Pallet or New Bark and stuff.**

 **MegaHeracross214: A Steelix? That's a Steel Type. I mean, sure, the Mega Form is part Ground, but the actual Pokemon is a Steel-Type. I don't have anything against that, its just that its not the right type. Oh. And Driftveil City,** _ **Sinnoh?**_ **Still though, Quartz is pretty cool. A neat Ground-Specialist (Right?)**

 **TakeThePRNDL: First off, I'm curious: What does PRNDL stand for? Secondly, Mark Notapokemon is a neat character, but I just can't see him hanging around Ash, you know? I can't really tell what type he's specializing in either, so that would be appreciated. I'm gonna guess that it's dark due to the Zorua, but the Espeon throws that off a bit.**

 **Anywho, the OC competition is still open! Please review your OC to me in this format:**

 **Name: (Firstname Lastname)**

 **Type: (Dark, Ground, Fairy)**

 **Signature Pokemon: (Of the type they're specializing in)**

 **Hometown: (Townanme,Regionname. Be creative! As long as they're canon, I'll accept them)**

 **Appearance: (What they wear)**

 **Personality: (What kind of person they are)**

 **I think that wraps this extremely long AN up! Please, please, PLEASE, review and let me know what you think of the story. It really helps me, and each review means more to me than you guys could ever know. Thanks! I'm out!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Theres a new Prologue. You should go check it out after you read this.**

 _ **Also, I noticed that the last bit of the chapter was cut off... So here's the full version, WITH the reviews this time :)**_

'Man Pikachu. Aren't you glad that we remembered to ask Hoopa for some heavy coats before we came here?' Ash asked.

* * *

...Or at least that's what Ash thought as he was shivering through his light vest. Headstrong as usual, he had charged into Ice Island before even realizing the possibility that the island dedicated to _ice types_ might be _cold._ At least Pikachu was comfortable- Hoopa had dropped in a thick fleece jacket for Pikachu not long after Ash took his first step into the snow. Trudging forward, it didn't take long for Ash to trip and fall into a snowbank, face flat to the ground. Standing up and shivering, he thought, 'Could this day get _any_ worse?'

Yes, yes it could. For suddenly the heavens opened up, exposing the warm heat of the sun to Ash, and all was calm until a massive portal opened up and Ash heard a high-pitched, booming voice yell,

 _"MURPHY'S LAW, BITCH!"_

And then all hail broke loose. Ice balls the size of golf balls started to plummet down to the ground, some hitting Ash and Pikachu, much to their annoyance. However, Ash had a plan for hail.

"Altaria, come on out!" As soon as the dual-type emerged from her ball, all the hail stopped, much to Hoopa's confusion.

 _"Hey, what gives?"_

Ash just smirked and yelled back,

CLOUDNINE, BITCH!"

* * *

Not much longer after that, Hoopa had dropped Ash a warm fleece coat as a sign of defeat. At first the trainer was skeptical about putting it on, but eventually the cold won out and Ash slipped the coat over his shoulders, hoping nothing would happen. Thankfully, nothing seemed to happen, so Ash kept walking towards the point he had been wandering towards the whole day- the Ice Shrine.

Or at least that's what he thought it was, but the island he was on bore a striking resemblence to Ice Island on Shamouti, just as the Fire and Lightning Islands did to their Orange Islands counterparts. Finally, after wandering for what seemed to be ages, Ash came across his first Pokemon- a snowy Castform. Smiling at it, Ash called upon Steelix to battle the ice-type.

"Rock Polish!" Ash started. Steelix shook himself, using some of his power to smooth his body out and raise his speed. In retaliation, Castform shot a Fire Blast, which Steelix barely dodged by going underground. Ash raised an eyebrow. 'Well that was unexpected.' Suddenly, Castform shot a fiery orb into the sky, changing the weather and blinding Ash. Still though, knowing what he did about Castforms, he still warned Steelix,

"Hey! Castform is a fire-type now! Use Earthquake and other ground moves!" All he got in reply was a faint roar. Ash grimaced, not knowing if Steelix had fully understood what he had said, but decided to trust the Iron Snake and stepped back a few meters. Sure enough, the ground started shaking.

Ash could hear the sounds of the battle- mostly Steelix roaring and Castform squeaking in pain, but couldn't actually see, so he had no idea what was going on. However, when the Sunny Day faded a few minutes later, Ash saw a smug-looking Steelix standing in a crater over a downed Castform. Smiling, Ash gestured for Steelix to move before throwing a regular Pokeball at the fainted Pokemon. It was an easy capture by Ash's standards, but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth and simply picked up the Pokeball then recalled Steelix with a word of praise.

Trudging on through the snow, Ash shivered his way to the mountain, where he assumed Articuno was. Looking around, he tried to spot any sign of a trail, but found no sign of one. Sighing, he was about to start climbing when something caught his eye. About halfway up the mountain was a massive house with many ice-types congregating near it. Smiling, he called upon Salamence for a lift.

"Hey Salamence, can you give me a lift to that house up there?" When he received a small roar and a dip of the head, Ash smiled and climbed on with a "thanks" When he was settled, he gave Salamence the word and the dragon-type shot off towards the house, making what would've been a long trek up the mountain into a ten second flight. When they got there, Salamence let Ash off right at the doorstep and then was recalled. Without bothering to knock- Candice probably wouldn't hear it- he stepped inside and looked around. It was a suprisingly cozy entryway for the ice-specialist, with a calm fire flickering in the center of the large room on top of light blue fiberglass. The walls a darkish blue that featured many paintings of ice-types in a light blue color, making them stand out from the wall. Ash could see an Abomasnow, Glaceon, Walrien, Cloyster, and a Beartic were all featured in the first room. After he had looked around, he decided to find Candice, if she was even here.

"Hey Candice?" Ash yelled, "Are you here? It's Ash!" When no reply came, however, Ash left the beautifully designed room and continued his trek up the mountain. When he finally reached the peak, he had to do a double take. The arena that he found himself looking at was absolutely breathtaking. The surface of the field was made with pure, untainted ice, which reflected the sky back onto the field. In periodic increments across the battlefield were what looked to be frozen boulders, which reflected the sun giving them the illusion of being made of sunlight. Suddenly, Ash heard a melodic cry from the top of one of the pillars. Looking up, he saw an Articuno looking down at him. Suddenly, the pillar that Articuno was perched on started spinning, revealing that the pillar was actually Regice in disguise.

Instinctively, Ash grabbed two Pokeballs, as whenever he had seen two legendaries in the previous islands, there was always a double battle. He was proven right when Articuno spoke.

 _"Ash! Welcome to Ice Island! Sorry about the heat, it's hot season right now,"_ Articuno apologized. Ash blanched. 'This was the _HOT_ season? I don't even want to _think_ about what the cold season would be like.' He shuddered at the thought but stopped when Articuno continued.

 _"Does a double battle sound good to you?"_ Ash smiled and nodded. _This_ was his forte. Throwing his two Pokeballs, Empoleon and Blaziken appeared on the ice. He frowned, noticing that Blaziken was having some trouble balancing on the ice. Regardless, however, he addressed his two chosen Pokemon.

"Alright guys, this is what you've been training for. This isn't training anymore, so be careful. Emploeon, you take on Articuno- watch out for her Freeze-Dry, it's super-effective on water-types. Blaziken, you take on Regice, and I'll be directing you. Are we good?" When he recieved two nods, he started.

"Blaziken, Flamethrower!" The fire-type opened his maw and a giant stream of red-hot fire shot towards Regice. In response, the legendary shot an Ice Beam, which headed straight towards the Flamethrower. The two powerful attacks met in the middle and fought for dominance. Regice's Ice Beam fought valiantly, but in the end the super-effective attack powered through and hit Regice, knocking the heavy pokemon back a few meters. Without needing to be told, Blaziken shot another Flamethrower at Regice, but this time the colossal Pokemon was ready. Using the ice to its advantage, Regice skated around Blaziken's Flamethrower and started towards the dual-type at an alarming pace.

Before he got to Blaziken, however, Regice had to dodge a Flame Burst. Unsurprisingly, the legendary did, coating most of the arena in a Mist attack, and a few moments later Ash saw Blaziken shoot out of the smoke and onto his back, on which he slid for a few feet. Seeing the fire-type's grimace, Ash encouraged,

"C'mon Blaziken, you can do this! Get up and hit him with a Brick Break!" Blaziken nodded and tried to get to his feet, but ultimately couldn't due to the ice. Seeing this, Ash frowned.

'I've got to find a way to get rid of this ice... Wait... I've got it!' Out loud, he yelled,

"Blaziken, roll left!" Without knowing why, the fighting-type rolled to his left, barely avoiding Regice's Hammer Arm attack that came from the Mist.

"Now! Amp up your leg flames! Melt this ice!" With a roar, Blaziken's leg-fire shot out to extreme lengths and melted all the ice within ten feet of him. With no ice for him to slip on, Blaziken quickly rose to his feet and instinctively avoided a Giga Impact, dodging to the right so that a very shocked Regice could sail right past him. Ash smiled: his plan was going perfectly. Now he just had to eliminate all the ice on the field to eliminate Regice's advantage.

"Alright! Blaziken, keep that fire going and hit him with a Blaze Kick!"

Blaziken nodded and started running towards Regice who was still recovering from the attack while melting the ice wherever his feet touched. When he was close enough to Regice he fired up the flames on his right leg even more and hit Regice with a roundhouse Blaze Kick, sending the legendary flying. Ash fist-pumped.

"Yeah! Finish it with a Fire Blast!" Without letting Regice have any time to recover, Blaziken shot a massive kanji-shaped blast of fire at Regice, hitting it head-on and knocking the beast out. Ash smile widened until he thought it would fall off. Throwing an Ultra Ball at the legendary, however, he remembered Emploeon and Articuno.

Looking over at the two Pokemon still battling, Ash noticed that Articuno had a very prominent advantage: the third dimension, otherwise known as the sky. Articuno would stay out of Empleon's reach until she swooped down just long enough to attack Empoleon who was sliding around on the ice Blaziken didn't melt. Every once and a while, Empoleon would fire a Metal Burst at Articuno, but the legendary would always dodge. Frowning, he devised a plan.

"Hey Blaziken." The fire-type turned his head from the battle to Ash "Next time Articuno swoops down to attack, I want you to shoot it down with a Fire Blast. Got it?" When the fire-type nodded he smiled and gestured at the two.

"Sneak over there now, I think Articuno's about to attack again."

Sure enough, when Blazkien finally crept over near where the action was happening, Articuno swooped down at Empoleon charging a Steel Wing. As he expected, Articuno dodged the retaliating Metal Burst, but was directly in the path of the much larger, much more painful Fire Blast which nailed her flank and forced her to the ground.

"Blaziken! Stone Edge! Empoleon, Steel Wing!" While Articuno was downed, the duo hit her with their respective super-effective attacks, knocking the bird out. Ash grinned.

Good jobyou two! Return now and take a long rest." He called, recalling the two and lobbing an Ultra Ball at Articuno, which shook thrice and then dinged, signifing the capture of the beast. He smiled at the results of the battle, but then went silent in concentration.

'Do I call it quits now, or do I go hunt for more Pokemon.' He scoffed. 'Nevermind, that's an easy one. More Pokemon, duh, but first things first, how do I get back down this mountain?' I don't want to use Altaria because if we get attacked, she's weak to ice-type moves... Wait, I still have Charizard with me!'

But before he could sent out the behemoth, he heard a slow clap pierce the silence. Whipping his head around, he saw Candice clapping for him while seemingly hovering over the side of the cliff. Raising an eyebrow, Candice got the hint and started talking.

"Hey Ash! Long time, eh? Good battle by the way. I only caught the end of it, but it still looked pretty good. It took me _forever_ to capture Articuno here- I'm actually pretty sure the battle took over five hours even with all eighteen of my pokemon at that time battling her." Ash's jaw dropped. She had already captured an Articuno? In answer she suddenly rose up, revealing a smaller Articuno on which she was standing.

"Well then congrats to you too, I'm pretty sure that none of the others captured a legendary yet. Have you captured Regice or Kuyrem yet?" He asked. She fowned at the question, and said,

"NO! Regice, that darned thing, has been barely avoiding me ever since I've gotten on the island! Leaving _just_ enough behind to let me know that he's there, but never letting me see or battle him! And with Kuyrem, I know I'm not ready for that kind of challenge yet."

Ash nodded, "Well it's good that you know your limits. Still though, that Regice sounds mischievous. I hope mine doesn't end up like that. Arceus knows I have it bad enough between Spiritomb and Hoopa..." At this it was her turn for her jaw to drop.

"You caught Regice too?! But I didn't see one when I flew up here!" she yelled. Ash shrugged.

"Blaziken had already knocked it out a couple minutes before we took down Articuno. It was a double battle." She nodded, accepting his answer.

"Well that explains the scorch marks on the field and the Regice-shaped crater here. Ugh, that's gonna be a pain to clean up." She said that last part while sending a mock glare at Ash, who just sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Heh heh, sorry about tha- OH LORD IS THAT A REGICE?!" Candice whipped around, trying to find the elusive creature, but couldn't. When she turned her attention back to Ash, she found that he had vanished.

"Well played Ash, well played."

* * *

"Did we lose her?"

"Chu" Came the affirmative reply from Pikachu. Ash breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. The Distortion World hath no fury as a woman scorned." Pikachu sagely nodded, remembering a certain Buneary and Glaceon.

"Anyways though, lets keep moving on. Theres some more Pokemon I want to catch while we're here." The duo was currently at the base of the mountain, after Ash had used the prospect of Regice as a distraction before releasing Charizard and shooting away. Trudging forward, Ash saw absolutely zero Pokemon within sight. Grimacing at what he was about to do, he opened his mouth and called for Hoopa. When the familiar portal appeared over his head, he heard Hoopa's voice ring out,

 _"What you need."_

Ash closed his eyes before hesitantly saying, "Can you send an Abomasnow, Glaceon, Cloyster, Froslass, and a Walrien over to me?" Hoopa giggled,

 _"Why? Surely the infinitely-energized Ash isn't getting_ _lazy,_ _is he?"_ Ash shook his head.

"I wouldn't call it that, it's just that the _only_ Pokemon I've seen today are Castform, Articuno, and Regice." Hoopa scoffed at his reply.

 _"Well duuuuuuhhh. The rest of them are all hanging out in the catacombs beneath the surface, you doofus."_

Ash's comically dropped onto his back.

"You mean that all the Pokemon are in caves I didn't even know about?"

 _"Yup"_

"And no one thought that I would need to know this?"

 _"Pretty much."_

"I hate you _so much_ right now."

At this Hoopa giggled and simply opened up a portal, dropping the requested Pokemon out of it. Ash's left eyebrow rose. Two of the Pokemon Hoopa had dropped in were shiny. Cloyster was a dark purple and Abomasnow had blue markings where green should've been. Deciding that he had had enough of the island, he simply sent out Charizard, Typhlosion, Infernape, and Emboar and gave them very simple instructions.

"Fire Blast then Blast Burn."

Calling out Metagross to create a psychic barrier to shield him from the inevitable explosion, he averted his eyes as he saw his Pokemon charging up the most powerful fire-type attack. For a second, nothing happened, and then-

...Still nothing. Wondering what had happened, Ash snuck a peek through the barrier and his jaw instantly dropped.

'Candice is going to be _pissed._ ' Indeed she would be, because instead of a small crater like he had envisioned, Everything in a fifteen foot radius was just _gone._ The only ground left standing was the small plot of land that Ash's fire-types stood on. The unfortunate ice-types were lying unconscious at the bottom of the crater. Quickly recalling his four smug-looking fire-types and Metagross, he lobbed five Pokeballs at the downed ice-types- which didn't even shake- and sprinted away. When he felt that he was far enough, he released Latios and flew back to his island. But before he got out of hearing reach, he heard a very distinct, very loud shriek.

"AAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH! I'M GOING TO _KILL_ YOU"

* * *

 _Not so far away_

* * *

"Uncle, when can I go outside the cave?"

 _"I told you. Once you master your gifts."_

"I already HAVE!" The girl yelled, shooting a Rock Wrecker at a nearby boulder, shattering it.

 _"Hmph. I still think there could be improvement. Plus I don't want you to get hurt._

"But Uncle, you've been saying that for months! And do you really think _he_ will hurt me? After all, you hold him in such high regard."

 _"Your Pokemon-"_

"All able to take on any Champion and win without breaking a sweat. _PLEASE_ Uncle, take me to him!"

 _"...Fine. We will go to to_ him _tomorrow. For now, get your things packed. I don't think you'll be staying here for much longer after he meets you."_

The girl nodded, going into her room to pack what little she had. The other being sighed.

 _'I know you'll be fine with Ash. I just don't want to see you get hurt any more. Not after what_ they _did to you, Zero.'_

 **This chapter sucks. Not even gonna try and say otherwise. I just had** _ **zero**_ **ideas for Ice Island. None. Nada. Zilch. I looked at the page I had dedicated to Ice Island in my notebook and other than the Pokemon he was going to capture and an idea for the Ice Treasure, (which Articuno is holding BTW), I had** _ **no**_ **ideas, period. But anyway, I should probably address why I've been gone for so long:**

 **America.**

 **Yep, I took a trip down to everyone's favorite bacon-loving country and had an absolute** _ **blast.**_ **It was awesome!...But I didn't bring my laptop. But then, when I got back, some stuff happened and I ended up breaking my collarbone, making this chapter a bitch and a half to write. (Another reason why it's so short- it** _ **hurts**_ **to type.)**

 **(Day two of typing this AN)**

 **I actually had to take a break from typing because my shoulder hurt so bad :/**  
 **But anywho, onto REVIEWS!**

 **The Creator: Told you she'd be in! :) Now lets see if you can use the hints I've been dropping to see if you can figure out who her 'uncle' is... And much wow to getting the reference in Hoopa's note. Also, MUUUUURRRRRRICA! BACON! FREEDOM! And about Steve Erkel... LOLOLOLOL. I died reading that! Speaking of things I died from reading, I read the fic you recommended. HILARIOUS! And I've got you'r friend code registered. Look for the Mario Mii whose name starts with 'J'. And I've got plans for Jack... Lets just say he's not the guy he is in TbaM... And yeah, you giving Zero those Shadow Powers was actually a huge reason why I picked her :) Also, Gardevoir will be her signature now :)**

 **Little Lazuli: SOL MEANS EARTH IN FRENCH! I think. Anyway, Jack's a pretty cool character. I absolutely died reading the Roomba comment. I'd really like to use him too. However, would you be up for a name change? I already have a character of the same name that will be playing a major role in the upcoming events, so would you consider Mark, or John, or something?**

 **random guy: I really like Omimphia (Olympia?) I probably would use her character... If it weren't for the fact that I don't need a Psychic-type trainer. I thought I made it clear that I only needed Ground, Dark, and Fairy-type OC's, but hey, no hard feelings. Cool character bro, and thanks for reading the story!**

 **TheGamingPyro. Yes, yes it was. Kuraidesu. I LIKE IT!**

 **deant33: Same as random guy. Sorry man, but I don't need a fire-type trainer. Sorry man, but thanks for reading anyway!**

 **snowwolf12132: I don't know what to say to that, other than thanks man. It means a lot to me to know that you really like this story.**


	10. Chapter Ten

"Alright guys, it's Friday, you know the drill. Pairs of two and spar until someone gives in or faints. Keep matching yourselves up until theres only one of you left. Lets see if someone can _finally_ overthrow Pikachu from his spot!" When his Pokemon gave a roar and began to split up, he continued.

"Hey Glaceon, Cloyster, Castform, Walrien, Froslass, Articuno, Regice, Jynx, Cyrogonal, and Abomasnow? Can you guys come over here, I'm gonna get you guys situated." The six Pokemon walked, or lumbered, in Abomasnow's case, towards Ash. When they got close enough, he started talking again.

"Well, welcome to my home! I know it might not be cold enough for most of you," He said, looking directly at Regice,"But I think I have a solution for that. See that lake, or pond, or whatever you call it?" All the Pokemon turned, saw it, and nodded. Well inside it are tunnels leading directly to somewhere on each island. Now, I could have you guys go back and forth from Ice Island, but that wouldn't really be fair to those of you who _aren't_ part water-type. But, what I can do is create a massive underground cavern for you guys to live in. From there I'll just have Hoopa warp in one of those teleport pads that Team Galactic uses." Looking around his group of ice-types, he realized that he was missing a few. Turning his vision back to the main group, he called over Avalugg, Aurorus and Glalie, who had already lost (or forfieted when they heard Ash call) their matches. Now addressing the three that he called over, he said,

"Hey guys, I know it's been hard here for you guys in constant seventy-five degree heat all the time, so I'm gonna fix that." Getting inquisitive looks from the threee, he decided to not elaborate but simply said, "You'll see."

Raising his voice, he yelled, "Kingdra, Emploeon, Azumarill, Steelix, could you guys help me out for a bit?"

Instantly the four Pokemon walked, floated, or slithered over to Ash, who met them with a grateful smile. "Sorry from taking you guys away from your battles," he said,"Especially you, Kingdra. I know how much you want to beat Magnezone, but I need your guys' help."

Putting on his rebreather, he called over Kingdra and Empoleon and recalled Azumarill and Steelix. Jumping into the water, he motioned for the two to join him. Once the duo had gotten into the water, Ash started swimming down to about halfway to the bottom. When he got there, he suddenly stopped and started talking, his voice a bit muffled by the water but still audible.

"Kingdra, use Dragon Pulse on that wall to make an hole. The dragon nodded and waited until Ash swam far enough away before launching the devastating attack at the rock wall. Upon impact, a loud rumbling was heard, and a horizontal hole had been created, taking some water into it. Swimming into it, Ash noticed that it was a bit narrow, but decided that he'd fix that later when he had the fighting and ground-types in here. Swimming back out, he nodded and patted Kingdra on the head before turning to Empoleon.

"Alright, I need you to use Dig at the back of the tunnel. But not downwards, I need you to use it upwards for about five feet. Nodding, the starter shot into the tunnel and then went up. A few moments later, Empoleon emerged form the tunnel with a satisfied look. Patting the bird on the back and swimming into the hole, Ash was delighted to find that a pocket of air had been created. Swimming back out, he pointed once again to Kingdra and said,

"Can you float up into that pocket of air and use Dragon Pulse to make a hole large enough for Steelix? Thanks" He added at her nod. When Kingdra reemerged, she gave Ash a nod and a cry of confidence. Grabbing Steelix's ball, he swam into the hole, pressed the release, and then swam back out as the Pokeball floated to the surface. He heard Steelix's cry of confusion, so he swam into the hole and popped up next to him.

Seeing Ash made the Pokemon calm down a bit, but the confusion still remained, so he explained.

"Basically, I need you to create a cavern that's about fifty feet by fifty feet. Use your Dig to do this. If you need any help, call and I'll send in Azumarill to soften up the earth for you. Thanks Steelix!"

After he said this, he dove back into the hole and to Empoleon, gesturing for him to swim upwards with him. Empoleon nodded, so he grabbed onto his back and motioned for Kingdra to swim up as well. When he got up, he was pleased to see that the Friday tournament was over, with Pikachu (as usual) as the Champion. Clapping to get his Pokemon's attention, he started talking.

"Alright guys, we're creating a habitat for the Ice-types! So I need help from some of you. So would Machamp, Hariyama, Poliwrath, Chesnaught, and Regice please come over here? Oh, and Regice, please grab the Ice Treasure from Articuno.

* * *

 _The Day Before, Ash's POV._

* * *

 _"AAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH! I'M GOING TO_ KILL _YOU"_

 _I chuckled at Candice- I mean, there was no way she could even put a dent in me or any of my Pokemon, even with her Articuno. So, with the knowledge that her threat was empty, I was about to urge Latios on when Articuno's Ultra Ball popped open, revealing the ice-type legendary. Curious, I asked her,_

 _"Hey, what's wrong Articuno? Do you need anything?" At her nod, I cocked my head._

"Yes Ash. Um, I may have forgotten my Treasure on the battlefield. And, um, I kinda need that to Mega-Evolve. Sorry for the trouble, but I really need to get that." She explained.

 _I smiled. "Well, yeah! Lets go get that then! You stay right here and I'll be back in a flash."_

 _About a minute later, Latios and I shot back towards Latios, with the Ice Treasure and two new Pokeballs in my hands. While I was on top of the mountain looking for the treasure, I found a Cyrogonal and a Jynx sparring. Impressed, I offered to train them to be even stronger, which they immediately accepted, giving me the two newest members of my team._

 _When I got back to Articuno, I held up the Ice Treasure triumphantly, prompting her eyes to light up and try to grab the treasure, but I held it out of her reach. She frowned (I think, with her beak and all) and said,_

"Hey, what gives?" _All I said was,_

 _"Not yet"_

* * *

 _Flashback End, Normal POV_

* * *

Since they had gotten back, Articuno had taken it upon herself to guard the Treasure from any threats, even if Home Island was completely safe. After Regice had managed to get it and take it back to Ash, he took out a hammer and chisel, which he had asked Hoopa for just moments ago. Putting the chisel to the middle of the Treasure, he slammed the hammer into it, which, instead of making two halves, somehow made two slightly smaller Ice Treasures. When he saw the look of absolute horror on Articuno's face, he held back a chuckle and explained.

"Well, I figured that you would want one so that you could Mega Evolve, but I also need one for what I'm about to do."

Then Ash recalled the Pokemon that he needed for the project and swam back down to the hole, where he was now delighted to see a cavern, with a happy and satisfied Steelix sleeping in the middle.

With a word of thanks, Ash recalled Steelix, then looked around the cavern. Boulders littered the cavern, but that would be easy to fix. Grabbing four Pokeballs, he released Machamp, Hariyama, Poliwrath and Chesnaught and started explaining as they looked around the cavern.

"So basically, this is going to be where all the Ice-Types live. But anyways, I brought you guys down here for a reason. See all those boulders?" A look of excitement started to form on the faces of his fighting-types. "They need to be gone. Erased. Disintregrated. Hasta la vista boulders." At this his fighting-types could no longer restrain themselves, but Ash added one more thing before diving into the water:

"Oh, and this is a competition! Whoever breaks down the most boulders wins!" He dove back into the water to the sounds of rock being smashed and roars.

Not even a minute later, he heard the sounds cease, so he swam back through the entrance and looked around. He saw a smug-looking Machamp standing by a disappointed Poliwrath, Hariyama, and Chesnaught. Shaking his head, he recalled the four and looked around, an impressed look growing on his face.

There was not a boulder in sight, and the cavern floor was completely covered in dust. Nodding his head, he sent out Regice and started talking.

"Alright. Can you cover the floor in ice? I don't really care how you do it, so have at it. Just don't hit me though."  
Immediately Regice let loose an Ice Beam to the ground and started skating on it. His strategy seemed to simply be to use Ice Beam on the ground in front of him constantly. Eventually, he covered the whole floor and then said,

 _"Ash, I'm about to use Blizzard many times over, to freeze the walls, ceiling, and reenforce the floor. So could you hop back into the water over there? I'll break the ice over it when I'm done here."_ Ash nodded, sliding back to the water and jumping into it. Swimming to the main hole, he waited until he heard the familiar sound of a Hammer Arm and ice shattering to swim back over. When he emerged from the water, his eyebrows almost shot off his head. Indeed, ice covered every inch of the cavern. Walking over to the back, he saw that Regice had even made a pedestal for the Ice Treasure, which would keep the ice from melting. What he didn't expect, however, was for a snow cloud to appear at the ceiling of the cavern and start lightly snowing.

Worried, he asked Regice about the snow.

 _"Eh, don't worry about it. It shouldn't be a problem. It'll probably stop snowing when enough ground is covered."_

Ash nodded, thankful that it wasn't going to be a problem. He smiled.

"Well, I think that we're all good here! Lets go grab the others."

But when Ash broke the surface of the water, it was not the ice-types he saw first.

 _"Hello Ash."_

* * *

"Mewtwo? What are you doing here? And, uh, who's that girl standing behind you in the black trench coat?"

 _"This is-"_

"It's a robe," she mumbled, loud enough for Ash to hear but quiet enough for him to not understand what she said.

"Sorry, come again? And what's your name?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"My name is Zero. What I am wearing are _robes,_ not a trench coat," she said, this time with more force. He raised his hands up in a 'sorry' gesture, but she flinched, much to Ash's confusion. But before he could apologize or ask anything else, she ran off to near his house. Confused, he turned to Mewtwo, who sighed.

 _"Ash, sit with me. This is going to take a while."_ When Ash sat down, the Genetic Pokemon continued.

 _"Ash, Zero's real name isn't Zero. She was given that name by Team Rocket, who is the reason she's here today. You see, when she was a child, Team Rocket kidnapped her and tried to make her into a weapon. A weapon that would be used against me to get me back under_ _their_ _control."_ He spat the last part with a look of disgust, but quickly regained his composure.

 _"Sorry. Anyhow, whatever they did worked, and she's now more Pokemon than human. She can use any Pokemon attack she witnesses, and even a few attacks which I've never seen before. But this created a shell of a girl. She cried herself to sleep every night, hoping for an end to her misery. She even tried killing herself once, only to find that her powers would not let her take her own life."_

"T-that's horrible, but what about the sorry gesture she ran away at?"

 _"...I'll let her explain that to you, if she wishes to. For now just go and find her. Oh, and one last thing before I teleport away. She specializes in Fairy-Types."_

And with that, the Genetic Pokemon teleported away, leaving nothing behind.

After taking a minute to digest all the information, he stood up and walked towards where Zero had ran off to. When he got there, he saw a few of his Pokemon, mainly his Fairy-Types, curling up next to the girl and soothing her. Pushing through them, he laid a hand on Zero's shoulder and sat down next to the crying girl. Taking a deep breath, he started talking.

"Hey Zero. Sorry about earlier, I didn't know about Team Rocket." At this she stopped crying. Her head snapped up, and with anger in her eyes she snapped,

" _Never_ say that name." Her angry mask suddenly crumbled and she whimpered, "You don't know what it's like."

Ash took a second, patting Zero's back in a comforting matter before continuing,

"You're right. I have no idea what it must've been like being experimented on. But I do know what Team Rocket can do. Tell me, did Mewtwo ever tell you about New Island and his creation?" When she nodded, he motioned for her to elaborate.

"Uncle Mewtwo told me that Team Rocket created him to take over the world, but he didn't like it so he broke free and tried to wipe out all of humanity. He would've succeeded had a trainer not died showing him what true friendship was and that not all humans are evil." She said.

A sad smile grew on Ash as he said, "That trainer was me." Her head snapped up and she was about to say something, but Ash kept going.

"And did you ever hear about the Iron Masked Marauder being stopped after capturing Celebi? I bet Giovanni was happy about that one. That was me too. And what about that time in Hoenn-" She cut him off.

"Ash, it's okay. I'm sorry for snapping at you about it; I was wrong to do so. But anyway," She began, standing up and smiling, "A little Pidgey told me that you needed a Fairy Master. Well, here I am!"

Ash smiled too- seeing Zero smiling somehow made him happy.

"Well then, who am I to hold you back? Let's get you to Fairy Island... Hope you don't mind getting a little wet..." He said, smirking at her confused look.

"Empoleon! Blastoise! I need your help!"

As the two water starters came lumbering over to the duo, Ash tossed Zero a rebreather. When she rose her eyebrow, he said,

"See that lake? There are tunnels in it. And before you ask, I don't need a rebreather any more... Or at least I hope I don't. My two Lucario have been training me in Aura in my free time, so I think I can whip up something to get me through."

Before Zero could protest, Ash grabbed her hand and ran over to the lake, jumping in and dragging her in with him. A few moments later, Ash heard a giant splash and a smaller one, and looked upwards to see Empoleon and Blastoise already in the water. Ash broke away from Zero and pointed at Blastoise, then at her. She got the message and kicked over to the turtle, grabbing his two water cannons in her hands. Meanwhile, Ash swam over to Empoleon and grabbed his crown and pointed downwards. With a start, Empoleon shot downwards, taking Ash and his Aura Bubble with him.

When they got to the bottom, Ash tapped Empoleon's crown and pointed at the tunnel that lead to Fairy Island. Immediately, Empoleon took off down the tunnel, Blastoise not far behind. When they finally broke air at Fairy Island, Ash looked around. He rubbed the back of his head when the local Fairy-Types all hid when they saw him, but then peeked back out when Zero burst from the water. She looked around in confusion.

"Hey Ash, why are all those fairies hiding? Are they shy?" Ash nervously gulped.

"Erm, no. I _may_ have scared them _juuuust_ a little bit when I was here. They should be fine when I leave. Speaking of which, I'd better do. Meadow Island's waiting for me, you know." She nodded.

"Alright then Ash, I'll leave you to it. I'll pop in every once and a while back at your island... After all, we still need to battle. I don't want my Champion getting _lazy_ after all." She finished with a smirk. Ash just laughed and hopped back into the water, Empoleon and Blastoise following.

* * *

A half-hour later saw Ash and Pikachu staring at the expansive Meadow Island. The island consisted of gentle grassy hills, and Ash could see a few ponds scattered around. There were a few clumps of trees here and there, but not nearly as many as Ash would've expected. Shrugging, he took a step forward.

...And ran smack-dab into a Celebi.

"Ouc- Celebi? Is it already time for a battle?"

 _"Hey Ash! Hi Pikachu! No, I don't really want to battle you. You proved that you were worthy of my power years ago in Ilex Forest- I was actually going to ask to join you, but Arceus said no." She explained._

"Oh, okay! Uh, do you have a preference of Pokeball?" He asked. Pikachu, seemingly bored, jumped off of his shoulders and ran over to play with a Tangrowth he saw.

She nodded and said _, "I'd really like a Nest Ball,"_ But when he pulled one out she quickly continued, _"But don't capture me yet. I want to do something first. You'll like it."_ At Ash's confused expression she continued.

 _"You've missed some pretty huge opportunities over the years. And no, I'm not talking about capturing Legendaries, I'm talking about the_ other _special Pokemon you've missed. Pokemon like the Giant Dragonite and the Crystal Onix. So what I'm offering is to take you back. I can't control time, but taking people back and forth is about as hard as breathing for me."_

Ash smiled. "So what I'm hearing is that you'll take me back and I can battle those Pokemon and hopefully capture them?"

The legendary nodded. _"You catch on fast. Anyway, are you in?"_

"I'm all game."

 _"Alright then. First stop: Bill's Lighthouse!"_ And then they were gone.

* * *

"Nidoqueen, use Thunderbolt on the Krabby!"

The duo had emerged from the portal right behind the tree-line of the shore, where, much to Ash's shock, he saw himself commanding a Nidoqueen against a Krabby, which was about the only thing familiar about this scene.

"Celebi, what happened? I didn't have a Nidoqueen during Kanto, and is that _Sabrina_ next to me?" Ash asked, shocked. Sure enough, next to himself he saw the purple-haired Gym Leader cheering the Nidoqueen on. A couple seconds later, the dual-type let loose a pretty big stream of electricity, knocking the Krabby out. He then threw a Net Ball at the downed Crab Pokemon, capturing it.

"That is _not_ how it went," Ash mumbled. Then aloud, he asked, "Celebi, what's wrong with the timeline?"

 _"I... I don't know. I don't think this is our universe. Maybe Arceus didn't want anything to happen to ours so he sent us here instead? I think we'll be fine. Anyway, I'd hurry out and capture the Dragonite. Use a flying pokemon and get out over the water. I'll do the rest."_

Ash waited until the other Ash and Sabrina went inside the Lighthouse before releasing his Salamence, telling him to fly him out over the water. Once he thought that he was far enough, Ash looked around for Celebi, but couldn't find her. Confused, he turned his gaze downwards towards the ocean only to see the water start violently churning.

On instinct, Salamence flew backwards a few meters, which turned out to be smart. Because suddenly, the massive Dragonite burst from the water with a loud, but somehow soothing cry. Ash smiled at the sight of the colossal dragon-type. If he managed to capture it, it would be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

'...If I can find a big enough field for him...' Ash mused. 'Eh, I'm sure Arceus could do something about that. Maybe something underground?...No, that wouldn't work. A sky arena? ...Hmm...'

He was broken from his thoughts by the giant Dragonite, who had scooped up Salamence in one of it's paws and carried his dragon- along with Ash himself- upwards towards the beast's face. Ash was a bit scared of what the beast was going to do, but steeled himself anyway and let himself be carried up to the giant's face. When they got up there, the Giant Dragonite cocked it's head as if asking, 'Who are you?' before letting out a soft coo at him, which left his ears ringing for a while.

'I wonder what a Screech attack would look like from this thing...' He wondered.

Shaking his head, he began to introduce himself to Dragonite.

"Hi Dragonite, my name is Ash Ketchum, and this is Salamence." At this the smaller dragon let out a small roar. "Um, how do I explain this... Well, basically, I was given the greatest opportunity ever by Lord Arceus and Lady Hoopa: to be able to befriend and train as many Pokemon as I could ever dream of. But that doesn't really explain why or how I'm here, and that... actually sounded pretty selfish... so let me explain more." He took a deep breath and continued,

"I actually met you a long, _long_ time ago. About seven and a half years ago to be precise." When Dragonite cocked his head in confusion, he elaborated.

"Did Celebi come and get you from underwater?" Dragonite nodded, realization dawning on him.  
"Yep, that's the how. I actually met you tonight, seven years ago... Which would be today..." He sighed. "I hate time traveling." He muttered. Picking his voice up, he continued, "Except when Saphroeth does it. He's pretty cool about it." When the beast gained a look of confusion Ash chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it. Just putting a chink in the wall. Anyways though, if you're wondering, I am powerful enough to train you. I can prove it too, if you want to battle." At this Dragonite's eyes lit up, but then the beast suddenly became downcast. Ash frowned.

"What's wrong Dragonite?" He asked, concerned.

It was at this moment that Celebi decided to intervene.

 _"Ash, he's sad because he can never go full out in a battle. He hasn't actually tried in a battle for the last two hundred years! So I wouldn't recommend using Kingdra like you were planning."_

"How'd you-... Psychic, right?" The legendary smiled and nodded.

* * *

A few minutes later saw a half-hearted Dragonite standing in a lazy battle position across from Ash, who was still riding on Salamence. Celebi had managed to convince him to battle Ash, but that didn't mean Dragonite was necessarily exited by it. That is, until Ash threw his Pokeball and a Lugia emerged.

 _"Hey As- Woah."_

Ash laughed.

"Yep, you're fighting that Dragonite."

 _"Oh my Arceus that thing is huge! I'm like a Joltik to it!"_ Ash nodded.

"Yeah, and we're gonna use that to our advantage. Oh, roll left."

Luckily, the legendary did, narrowly avoiding a massive Dragon Rage which exploded twenty yards behind Lugia, creating a massive mushroom cloud.

"Okay change of plans. Salamence and I are getting the fuck out of here. Call me if you knock him out." And with that, the duo flew off at breakneck speeds.

* * *

_Lugia POV_

* * *

 _'Traitors.'_ I thought, folding my wings and dropping to avoid the Ice Beam attack.

I looked way up to see that he was taking a few breaths after launching his attack. I smiled inwardly. He was so far out of battling shape that this might not be very hard. With that in mind I shot towards the beast while charging a Blizzard in my maw. Deciding to risk it, I shot towards his face and released the attack...

Only to get batted down by his massive paw. With a groan, I managed to unfurl my wings just before I slammed into the ocean.

 _'Wait. The_ ocean _!'_ A plan started to formulate in my mind. Veering left to dodge a Hyper Beam that cut the ocean all the way to the bottom, I dove downwards to the seafloor. When I got close enough to his leg, I put up a powerful Light Screen and shot a Thunder at the Dragonite's leg, hoping to disable the use of that leg, knocking him off-balance. It worked, but the subsequent roar that came afterwards made me wonder if it was worth it.

Unfortunately, that was about as far as I had gotten in my planning, so I was left on the bottom of the ocean trying to figure out my next move all the while dodging Dragon Pulses that came much more frequently now. Suddenly, a plan popped into my mind, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Circling around the Dragonite so that I was directly behind his kneecap, I used Dragon Rush, shooting forward and nailing the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel on it, which hurt him even more. While he was kneeling, I shot out of the water, still behind him, and rammed into his back with my Giga Impact, forcing him to the watery ground. Taking a moment to recover from the drawback, I reentered the water and used Earthquake.

 _'Note to self: Underwater Earthquakes are OP.'_

As soon as I used Earthquake, the ground started violently shaking. (No duh.) But that wasn't the overpowered part. A couple seconds after I used it, a vent opened up underwater and started spewing out lava. This was followed by a second vent, then a third, all the way until the entire seafloor was completely covered in lava. Knowing that the battle was over, I lifted Dragonite with my Psychic and started making my way back to the lighthouse.

* * *

_Regular POV_

* * *

When Ash travelled back in time, he was surprised.

When Celebi told Ash just how powerful Dragonite was, he was even more surprised.

But when Ash saw Lugia dragging the Giant Dragonite back using his Psychic, words could not even _begin_ to describe how absolutely _shocked_ Ash was.

Quickly pulling out an Ultra Ball, he lobbed it at the downed Dragonite. The ball struggled for a few moments, but then clicked shut, signifying the capture. Then, he recalled Lugia with a word of praise. Lifting his head, he shot a quick word to Arceus, who healed his Pokemon. With a smile, Ash silently thanked Arceus, but then immediately grabbed Dragonite's Ultra Ball: Bill was about to call the behemoth and Ash would be damned if he didn't make a good entrance. Quickly flying back out over the water on Salamence, Ash released Dragonite, who looked at him in awe. Then the dragon did something that shocked Ash- it knelt down and lowered it's head. Ash was quick to say something.

"Woah woah woah. I'm not your master. I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but I would much rather be your friend than your master. At this the Dragonite raised his head and cooed. Ash chuckled and then said,

"Alright. In a few minutes, a scientist is going to try to get you to come over to his lighthouse. Don't worry, he is friendly, but I'm gonna be there... Well, sorta. My past self from a different dimension will be there, and I'll be darned if I don't make a grand entrance. So here's the plan..."

* * *

Sure enough, a few moments later Bill's recording started drifting across the water, reaching Ash and Dragonite in a matter of moments. Ash turned to Dragonite's massive head and tapped his cheek, signaling him to start moving towards the Lighthouse. The giant complied and started walking towards the Lighthouse, carrying a cloaked Ash on his shoulder. When they got there, Ash had to hold back a chuckle when he heard three collective gasps and his own voice ring out,

"What _is_ that Pokemon?"

But before Ash- **(... Er, the Past Ash? Ash who used a Nidoqueen on a Krabby Ash?)-** could say anything else, Bill piped up.

"Oh massive, mysterious, magnificent Pokemon, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to meet you!" At this both Dragonite and Ash sweat-dropped, but Dragonite raised a paw and cooed at Bill anyway, causing the scientist to faint in joy. This time, it wasn't Dragonite and Ash that sweat-dropped but Other Ash and Sabrina that beat them too it.

"Um, okay..." Other Ash muttered.

"Sorry about Bill, Pokemon, he is just happy to meet you." Sabrina piped up.

Suddenly, Other Ash started talking again.

"Um, anyway, Pokemon, it's really an honor to meet you, but, um, if you don't mind, could we battle? I'd love to have you as part of my family." At this, Ash raised his eyebrows but smiled.

Clearing his throat, he finally decided to say,

"Sorry, kid, but I beat you to it." He said.

It was at this time that the two on the lighthouse finally noticed the human on Dragonite's shoulder. Taking his cue, Ash jumped off of the dragon-type's shoulder and onto the lighthouse, recalling Dragonite midair.

"You see, Dragonite here heard that guy's call and wanted to come over here. So here we are."

Other Ash's jaw was on the ground when he asked, "You mean that thing is a _Dragonite?!_ " Ash nodded.

"Yup."

"Man, I _soooo_ wish I could've captured that." Other Ash sighed.

Suddenly, Ash heard a voice in his head saying,

 _"Ash, it's Celebi. Whenever you're ready, just jump off the Lighthouse. Next stop is Porta Vista."_

"Well guys, it was a nice chat, but I'm gonna take my leave now. Maybe I'll see you around someday." And with that, Ash turned around and was about to jump off when Other Ash suddenly asked,

"Wait, sir, what's your name?"  
Ash blanched then smirked.

"Just call me 'Z'."

And then he was gone.

When he regained his senses he found himself in a much warmer climate- the beach, or, more accurately, the beach of Porta Vista. But before he could soak up any sun, he heard a laughing voice say,

 _"Really Ash? Z?_ _ **Z**_ _?"_ Celebi teased.

"Hey, it was the first thing I thought of, alright? I was under pressure."

 _"Please. Did you really not think that they would probably ask for your_ name _?"_

"Well, when you put it like that..." But Ash was cut off by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Z! Nice seeing you again!" Ash, or Z, depending on who you asked, turned around with a smile and replied,

"Hey you two? How're you guys doing?" This time it was Sabrina who replied, saying,

"We're just doing peachy. Especially with the _GIANT TENTACRUEL_ attacking the city!"

 **(As horrible as the name is, I'm going to call our Ash 'Z' when he's with other Ash)**

Z raised an eyebrow, thinking,

'That's already started? Good timing Celebi...' He scoffed, getting the attention of Ash and Sabrina.

"Z? Is everything okay?" Z snapped to attention, quickly saying,

"Huh? Oh, yeah, everything's good. I'm just thinking about how badly timed my arrival here was. Anyway, I'm gonna go capture it- if it's a Giant, it's probably worth training."

Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean, ' _worth training'_? Do you not train Pokemon you don't think are worth your time?" Z quickly shook his head.

"No, no. That came out wrong," He said, releasing his Salamence. "See this guy? When I found him the little guy was just a Bagon freezing out near Lake Acuity in Sinnoh. For about five months, all the little guy could use was Leer. Now look at him!" Z lied. "But anyway, I _am_ going to go try and capture that Giant Tentacruel. If you guys want to watch, just look for the Giant Dragonite."

And with that, he took off on Salamence.

 _"Nice backstory."_ Celebi said once he was in the air.

"Thanks. By the way, where'd you disappear off to during that conversation?"

 _"Narnia."_

"Where?"

 _"Nevermind. Oh, I'd duck now."_ Trusting the legendary, Ash pushed himself flat onto Salamence's back, and just in time too, for a giant tentacle sailed over where he had been just moments ago. He grit his teeth. If that's how Tentacruel wanted to play, then so be it.

"Dragonite, I choose you!"

..." **IT'S GODZILLA! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!** " A townsperson yelled once the behemoth was released. Ash sweat-dropped.

 _"Did he just say that? What the heck_ is _a Godzilla, anyway?_ "

"Beats me. Anyway, Dragonite, use Earthquake!"

* * *

"Celebi, you've _got_ to remind me about the underwater Earthquake thing for later battles. Misty would go absolutely _insane_ over that." Ash was walking along Sunburst Island, towards the cave where the Crystal Onix resided. Ash was hoping to capture the Pokemon in hopes of screwing people up when they realized that Water-Type attacks didn't work.

"What _type_ is the Crystal Onix, anyway?" Ash wondered aloud. Celebi shrugged and replied,

 _"I'm not sure, actually. If I had to guess, I'd say Steel, but there are many mysteries in the Pokemon World just waiting to be uncovered._ " Ash took a moment to think about that and then quipped,

"If those discoveries are anything like the Fairy Type, I think the scientific community should just stop discovering stuff."

 _"Amen. I don't need another weakness. Arceus knows I have enough already."_

* * *

Finally, the two time-travelers walked into the Onix's cave, where Celebi immediately flew off, presumably to get the Crystal Onix. Ash pondered over his choices. He had brought along lots of Fire-Types, but he needed something that could withstand water if need be. he decided that he would treat it like a Steel-Type, until he came to a better conclusion, so eventually he decided on...

* * *

"Garchomp! I choose you!"

With a roar, the dual ground-dragon type burst from his Pokeball and stared down his competition- an Onix that was composed entirely of crystals.

"Alright Garchomp, lets get this started with a Flamethrower!" Compling, a stream of fire came shooting out of Garchomp's maw and scored a direct hit on the Onix. Unfortunately, all the Onix had to do was submerge and most of the damage was reduced. Ash frowned.

'He likes water, so lets take that away!'

"Garchomp, use Sunny Day!" Garchomp shot what looked to be a Flamethrower from his maw but instead of hitting Onix, the ball of fire exploded midair, cranking up the heat. The extra heat made it really uncomfortable for Onix and lowered the water level some, but not enough. So Ash followed up on his plan.

"Now go underwater and use Dig to make a tunnel for the water to leave the cave!" Garchomp disappeared, a hole where he used to be. A few minutes later, the water level started rapidly descending. Ash smiled. It looked like Garchomp had completed his task well. Suddenly, Ash saw both Pokemon emerge from the ground, one looking much better than the other. Ash saw this and smirked.

"One more attack should do it! Garchomp, Flamethrower, full power!" With Garchomp's full power behind the attack, plus the extra boost from the Sunny Day, Onix stood no chance against the fire-type attack and fainted.

"Yes! Good job Garchomp! We did it!"

 _"And it only took destroying the whole cavern to do it."_

Ash looked around. Where the lake was, there now was a giant hole with a giant hole near the bottom filled with burn marks and trenches. On the walls, there were hundreds of scorch-marks and burns from the Sunny Day. Ash grimaced sheepishly.

"Uh, Garchomp, fill that tunnel back up, then use Surf on the entire cavern. When you're done meet us outside and we'll head back to Meadow Island."

* * *

"Thanks again Celebi for letting me go back there."

 _"Any time, Ash. Now, are you going to capture me or not?"_ The two were back on Meadow Island, where Ash wanted to capture some more Pokemon before calling it a day.

'Though, I guess it's already been like three days. Man, I'm beat.'

But still, he had business to complete. So with that in mind, he pulled out a Nest Ball and tapped Celebi's head.

The ball didn't even shake.

* * *

"Hey Pikachu, sorry for leaving you behind, but you shouldn't have gone off with that Tangrowth! Speaking of him, where is he?" Pikachu just pointed behind Ash at the fainted bodies of a Leafeon, Tangrowth, and a Trevenant.

"...Wh- I thought you were _playing_ with them!"

"Pichu-cha Pikachu."

"It was a trap?"

"Pi."

"Well, I'm gonna capture them now, I guess," He said, lobbing three Pokeballs at the downed Pokemon.

"How long have they been out?"

"Chu Pika"

"Three _hours?!"_

"CHU!"

"Oh. Three _minutes._ That's a bit better." Ash said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

* * *

Two hours later saw the successful captures of a Lilligant who tried to paralyze him, a Ludicolo who got too close to Pikachu for the mouse's comfort, a Tropius who thought she could take Frosslass on in a battle race, and a Breloom who just wanted to spar with Ash's Primeape. He got the spar alright.

Anyway, Ash was currently standing in front of a field of flowers, looking for any Pokemon. However, he didn't see the one right under his feet.

" _Owie!"_

Ash about jumped ten feet. Whipping his head downwards, he saw a Shaymin curled up in a ball crying. Ash's heart instantly melted and he dropped down to his stomach, saying,

"Oh my gosh Shaymin I'm so sorry! Please don't cry," He begged, scooping the little Pokemon into his arms. The little grass-type started sunggling into his chest, whimpering and shedding tears. It was right then and there that he knew that Shaymin would _not_ be a battler. She was way to precious and adorable. However, his judgement was soon to be proven to be false.

 _"Are you Aunt Arceus's Chosen One?"_ Shaymin asked, small black eyes pleading with him to say yes. Again, Ash's heart melted and he said,

"Yes, I am." Shaymin jumped out of Ash's arms and onto his shoulder, pain forgotten, squealing,

 _"Yay! Yay! Daddy's here!"_

But then, everything went black. The last thing he heard was,

 _"SEED FLARE!"_

* * *

Ash awoke about a half-hour later on the same bed of flowers he fell asleep on, with a scared Shaymin and a snickering Pikachu beisde him. When he rolled over, Shaymin started to cheer, but his attention was too focused on the obviously-in-pain legendary on its knees next to him.

"Virizion? What are you doing here?"

 _"Well, I was going to play a harmless prank on you before I challenged you to a battle, but Shaymin here had different plans"_ The legendary explained. Ash raised his eyebrow.

"Would this _harmless_ pranks have anything to do with me blacking out?"

 _"...maybe. It was Sleep Powder. I had a local Shroomish help me out."_

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you're so beat up."

 _"...Shaymin's more powerful than she lets on. That Seed Flare is absolutely devastaing."_

Ash licked his lips nervously.

"So, uh, do we battle now, or...?"

 _"Well, Shaymin_ did _technically beat me there- I was unconscious for a while. So I guess you're free to capture me."_

"Alright! Uh, any 'Ball preference?"

 _"Nope."_

And so Ash lobbed a Fast Ball at the legendary, hitting her on the flank.  
"Alright Hoopa, I'm ready to go back to Home Island now."

And then he was gone, leaving Meadow Island behind him.

* * *

 **Before anyone leaves an angry review saying. "wow u noob Ash didn't even catch Shaymin at the end" or, "Is Ash evar gonna catch Shaymin" I didn't want to add a bit where Ash caught Shaymin. I felt like it would throw off the chapters mojo.**

 **About this chapter, though, I hit a wall. I couldn't think of any ideas for like a week, until I was laying in bed one night. When I was** _ **just**_ **about to fall asleep, my half-asleep mind thought,**

 **"Wouldn't it be cool if Ash could go back in time and catch those cool Pokemon he missed?"**

 **And then my eyes snapped open and I was like: "Celebi."**

 **And so that's how this chapter came into being XD**

 **Anywho, I didn't do most of the battles this chapter, but I had a reason for it: This chapter is pretty darn long.**

 **Oh, and one last thing before reviews: The OC contest is** _ **over**_ **. I've been meaning to say that for a couple of chapters, but I kinda forgot. Thanks to everyone who submitted an OC!**

 **Anyway, here's the ones I picked:**

 **The Creator with Zero! (No shit she's been in like three chapters now)**

 **Little Lazuli with Dipper "Dune" Sol! Roomba!**

 **TheGamingPyro with Mark Kuraidesu!**

 **Thanks again to everyone who submitted their OC. They were** _ **ALL**_ **really cool. I enjoyed reading them.**

 _ **REVIEWS!**_

 **Artic Hood: Thanks for the idea on Ice Island!**

 **MegaHeracross214: Thanks for your idea as well man! :)**

 **TheGamingPyro: Are you referencing that song? Because I played that on my flight down almost the entire way there. I died laughing. Yeah, the collarbone** _ **does**_ **suck, but its slowly getting better. Thanks for the well wishes man!... But those gif's don't work ): Also, the Pink Butterfree is currently chillin' at Home Island.**

 **TheFallenAngleAlice: That sounds really familiar... Did you copy and paste part of that from Little Lazuli's review? You know which part I'm talking about. :) Anyway, Alice is a** _ **really**_ **cool character! Thanks again for submitting her to me.**

 **'Guest': Thanks! I actually had completely forgotten about the Crystal Onix! And I thought the only jumbo Onix was in Bruno's (E4) possession?**

 **Sylveon0902: What's unique about the Deoxys? The crystal? Hmm... I actually might use something along those lines when I get to Psychic Island... go go deoxys rangers! And the Giant Pokemon I have plans for as well, at least, I do now :) Thanks! And you're so welcome for making this story :D I really apprecaite the support, although I would hardly call this story 'perfect'. It means** _ **so**_ **much to me. And believe it or not, my orignal plan was to make Ash in a league of his own. Also, I think I'm gonna have Arceus place a one-legendary limit on the trainers, because of trainers like Max and Winnona. Just** _ **think**_ **about how many legendaries they would have :/**

 **Imagination is Your Creation:Wait, really? I actually didn't know that that Ho-Oh was shiny! That's pretty cool! And the clones? I've got plans for like one or two of them.**

 **Tony0423: I sorta feel bad for Candice too, and I'm the one who** _ **wrote**_ **it! XD**

 **But anyway, spolier alert: Ash isn't dying. Nothing against stories where he dies, but that's not something I would really want to write. God, you have** _ **no**_ **idea how much I wanted to do the Igglybuff thing. But when I read about Zero, I knew I had a Fairy-Specialist. SO, I put Shaymin in here for you. Just imagine an OP god-level little ball of** _ **green**_ **wrecking the mightiest of** _ **everything**_ **! And thanks for the Healing Wish. (YES! DAT REFERENCE DOE!) And bacon is amazing. Amazing. And I don't know if this is true for other authors, but I'll be darned if I don't read every review I get throughly.**

 **The Creator: Would you believe me if I said that I do the same thing? Except instead of looking for new chapters, I'm always looking for new reviews? I love hearing from you guys. Valuable, patience is. 1. She be knockin' those heads** _ **all**_ **day on fairy island now. ! SOMEONE NOTICED THE PUNNIEST OF PUNS! Haha I cringed typing that sentence...Also, you noticed the Zero pun too :) Oh noes the FEAM is coming for me. 3. She's got an Articuno. She'll be fine. And that's her job because it's her island. I guess she just wants to make it look good. 5. Oh god. No comment there XD. 6. Yep, and now you see my dilemma. If Ash were to battle Tobias, he'd straight whoop his ass without breaking a sweat. So yes, I will work that keyboard magic and have Tobias fight** _ **someone**_ **in the League... Or maybe all of them... Hmmmmm...**

 **But, that won't be for a while yet. We've still got Eight (woah. We're more than halfway through with the Islands Arc!) more Islands left before the rest of the world even** _ **knows**_ **about the League, so I'm sure I can figure something out. 7. GEN ONE IS THE ONLY REAL GENERATION! Thats why this story focuses on two Pokemon from Gens 4 and 6. :) And yeah, I'm with you. Ash's best region** _ **ever**_ **was Sinnoh. 8. Ideas have been floating around about that certain series for a while now. And about Tobias being a bit OC, that was my bad... I'll fix that when I write him in again. Thanks for the heads-up!**

 **Mystic Writer 999: Damn. Summer is** _ **amazing.**_ **However, like I said at the beginning of the AN, I had already decided on my three. That was a mistake on my part, and I'm sorry that you really had an unfair chance :/ Forgive me please? But on Zygarde...** _ **That's**_ **straight up my alley. Adding in Legendary Pokemon is what I do best, so you can count on him coming into the story in exactly two Islands :)**

 **Anyway, with that freakishly long chapter comes a freakishly long AN! See you guys next time!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**I forgot to mention it last chapter, but you guys might want to start paying attention** _ **everything**_ **that happens from here on out. Its** _ **all**_ **deliberate. All of it.**

It was the day after Ash had conquered Meadow Island, and said trainer was currently in his kitchen talking to God.

 _"Alright Ash, I think that it is time to make your league official."_

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, _official_? Can't it just be an unofficial league?"

Arceus shook his head.

 _"While yes, you can have this league be unofficial, I would highly suggest that you make it official for a couple of reasons. One, unofficial leagues are not taken very seriously because they are- for the most part- pretty weak. Take the Orange League for example."_

Ash interrupted, protesting, "Hey! Are you saying that the Orange Crew is weak? Beating them was one of my greatest achievements!"

 _"And you did it during your first year as a trainer. Think about it Ash. If you would've gone back there after Sinnoh, with that team, you would've absolutely_ trounced _the Orange League, Drake included."_

"Alright. You have a point," Ash grudgingly admitted. " _But,_ I am still calling it one of my greatest achievements."

Arceus nodded.

 _"It is. Like I said, it_ was _during your first year of training. Not many people can boast about beating a League- official or not, during their first year. Regardless, however, I still want you to make yours official. I don't want anybody thinking that the Hoopa League might be evil or something. Connecting your league with Charles is the best way to do that. Plus, you even make this it's own region, depending on where you place it."_

"...You have a compelling argument. Alright, lets make it official."

Arceus smiled.

...

"Uh, how do we actually do that though?"

 _"... I am not sure."_

Ash'seyebrows shot up, prompting Arceus to start to laugh.  
"What?" Ash asked.

 _"Of course I know. I'm_ Arceus, _after all."_

Ash waited.

Arceus sighed then continued, _"Spoilsport. They're currently in their monthly meeting, discussing politics and things of that nature. I was thinking that I could teleport you in there so that you could ask. And if he declines or is hesitant, ask to battle one of the Champions. Oh, and take a couple legendaries. They have been itching to fight. Go pick your team and then come back here. I'll be waiting._

A grin slowly spread on Ash's face as he walked onto his training field, where his Pokemon were all eating lunch. Ash looked over all of his Pokemon, trying to decide who exactly to bring, until his eyes rested on Lugia, Celebi, and Pikachu. Lugia and Celebi were rather self-explanatory- Arceus had requested that he bring legendary Pokemon to battle. Pikachu was also easy to explain though- he was Ash's starter. He was going to be there for every step of Ash's journey. Walking over to them and pulling them aside, Ash started to explain what he wanted.

"Hey guys! Alright, here's the deal. Today is the day that we're making this league official, and I need your help to do it.

* * *

_Indigo Plateau_

Cynthia was stressing out.

After Alder had resigned as Champion of Unova- a long and tedious process in itself- the girl who was supposed to take his place just upped and disappeared. What made it even worse, though, was that the guy that had taken his position was Aaron, who was a member of her own Elite Four. So now not only did she have to help find the missing girl- Iris, if her memory served- she had to find somebody to replace Aaron in her Elite Four. And if that all wasn't enough, several prominent trainers had disappeared at around the same time that Iris had too, including Candice, who was one of her own gym leaders. She was broken from her thoughts, however, when Charles Goodshow started speaking.

"Hello Champions, it is good to see that you all made it here," the old man began. "By now, you guys all know the drill, so-" Aaron opened his mouth, prompting Goodshow to remember. "Ah yes, Aaron, you're new to this whole ordeal, aren't you." When Aaron nodded, Goodshow continued. "Well, at the beginning of every meeting, we discuss trainers whom we think have the potential to become champions, or are outstanding to us in any way, or both! So, with that in mind, any one have a trainer?" Everyone's hands shot up but Goodshow was quick to dismiss some of them.

"Yes Lance, I know that Red, Gold, and Crystal are arguably the three best trainers on the planet. But, _no one knows where they are_ , and I tell you that every meeting. So unless someone finds them, I'm dismissing their cases." Looking over at Steven, he sighed. "Same with you. Brendan and May are outstanding trainers, but the fact of the matter is that they have yet to win and Leagues." Steven cut him off.

"But sir, they are a force to be recko-"

"I _know._ In double battles, they're all but unbeatable. _However,_ like I have said many times before, the PLA doesn't do double battles in official League battles. Feel free to petition that to someone." Turning to Cynthia, he just raised an eyebrow. Her hand was quick to lower after that. He skipped Aaron, who had not raised his hand, and finally faced the last person in the room- Kalos Champion Diantha. Goodshow had no qualms about her talking, so he motioned for her to speak. She cleared her throat, then began.

"Well, this last year in Kalos, I met a trainer who- at first- didn't seem like anything special. However, that quickly changed after I saw just how much he loved all Pokemon, not just his own." At this, several eyebrows raised and a few snickers could be heard throughout the room. Confused, Diantha continued, "Um, anyway, that set him apart to me, but it wasn't until the events at Desser City that he really showed me just how special he was." At this point, Cynthia couldn't hold her laughter anymore, and she said,

"Could the events at Desser City possibly be that this boy, who you hadn't thought much of, managed to stop two or more legendaries from either destroying a city, each other, or humanity?" Diantha's jaw dropped. "...Yes, why?" Cynthia snickered.

"No reason."

"Well, anyway," Diantha nervously continued, "When Hoopa Unbound attacked and released a whole slew of legendary Pokemon, this boy named Ash Ketchum managed to not only stop the legendaries fighting for the Unbound Hoopa, but actually managed to command three Mega-Evolved legendaries against the others- Rayquaza, Latios, and Latias." When she stopped talking, everyone in the room exploded in laughter.

"Figures that he'd show up again in a different region," Lance chuckled.

"Yeah, although actually _commanding_ the legendaries is a step up for him." Steven agreed.

"Not really, he did it with the Lake Trio in Sinnoh," Cynthia said

"Yeah. The kid's got a really pure heart, and it doesn't hurt that his Pokemon would all die for him in a split second." The laughter continued until a familiar voice silenced the room.

"Well, it's great to hear that you all think so highly of me, but if you guys are having a hard time believing that I temporarily commanded some legendaries, well... You'll be a bit surprised in a while here."

Silence ensued. No one dared move a muscle. Because here, standing in front of them, was the boy who's disappearance had started the rest, Pikachu on shoulder and a Celebi floating beside him. Finally, Cynthia dared ask,

"...Ash?"

* * *

"In the flesh!" He answered, while Pikachu flashed a peace sign on his shoulder. It was Lance who spoke next.

"Where have you been? Why are you here?" Lance looked at him. "Not that we don't want you here," he quickly amended. He took a breath before continuing, "And more importantly, _how_ did you get in here?" Lance asked, frowning.

"The first question is confidential. The third question relates to the first question, so it is also confidential, but the second question I'm free to answer. I came here to make a seventh league." Everyone else's eyebrows shot up. " _But,_ I'm only going to let trainers who have won at least one League Conference challenge it. We're too powerful for anyone else." At this Goodshow interrupted.

"Ash, it's great that you want to start a seventh League. Really, it is! However, do you really think you're powerful enough to lead one? You only beaten one League Conference yourself, and now you only want League Winners to be able to challenge? Sorry Ash, but you're simply not powerful enough yet." Goodshow said.  
But to his surprise, Ash did not become sullen or downcast. Instead, the young boy started _chuckling!_ Goodshow quickly became confused at Ash's response.

"Ash, are you okay?" He asked, fearing for the boy's mental health. The boy waited until his laughter died down before responding,

"Yeah, Mr. Goodshow, I'm fine. I was just laughing about the whole 'you're simply not powerful enough yet' thing. You haven't seen me recently." Seeing the bewildered and skeptical faces of the Champions, he continued.

"From my knowledge, Cynthia is the most powerful Champion, right?" When he got nods, he smirked and continued,

"I could sweep her 6-0."

After he said this, you could hear a pin drop. After about a minute, however, someone started chuckling. Ash turned, eyebrow raised, at the one laughing, and saw that it was Lance.

"Ash, you're hilarious. Seriously, I haven't laughed this hard in _years_! I mean, seriously? 'I could sweep her 6-0'? HA! Ash, not even _Red_ could do that!" Lance laughed. Ash's face instantly became harder, and he monotonically said,

"I see. Cynthia, I challenge you. Lets go."

* * *

A couple minutes later, all the Champions except Cynthia were sitting in the stands of the main Indigo Stadium, where Cynthia was trying to get Ash to recall his challenge.

"Ash, please don't make me do this! Just forfeit, _please!_ " Cynthia begged. But to no avail, as Ash just monotonically said,

"Just release your first Pokemon." With a heavy sigh, Cynthia did just that and out from her first Pokeball popped a Roserade. Ash inwardly smirked.

"Lugia, I choose you."

You could hear a pin drop in the Indigo Stadium after the legendary emerged from his Pokeball. Granted, that wasn't saying an awful lot, considering that there were only seven other people in the stadium, but still, it got really quiet really fast.

"Well, since you're not doing anything, I'm just gonna start. Lugia, Aeroblast!" Ash called, pointing at the Roserade. Lugia complied, sending a massive blast of air at Cynthia's grass-type.

On the other side of the battlefield, Cynthia was nearly too shocked to actually say anything, but Roserade had managed to dodge the attack anyway. Shaking her head to snap herself out of her stupor, she shouted,

"Roserade! Magical Leaf!" But before the grass-type could launch it's attack, it was already knocked out, courtesy of a devastating Air Cutter.

With a grimace, Cynthia recalled her Pokemon, grabbing her second sphere. Things were about to get serious.

"Garchomp, I choose you!"

* * *

"Did that just happen?" Lance managed to say.

"I think so, Lance. Cynthia just got swept six to zero." Aaron replied.

"Holy _shit._ "

* * *

Back in the meeting room, Goodshow and Ash were having a very serious discussion.

"Ash, I'm not going to lie when I say that you completely shocked me. However, you used a legendary Pokemon. Would your proposed League only use Pokemon of that status?" Goodshow inquired.

Ash shook his head.

"No. As a matter of fact, Pikachu here is about twice as powerful as Lugia. It's gotten to the point where using him has become overkill in most situations." Goodshow frowned.

"Can you prove that?"

Ash just smiled.

* * *

"...Wow. Did your Pikachu really just..." Goodshow started, seemingly unable to finish his sentence.

"Sweep Lance's team single-handedly? Yes, yes he did." Ash finished for him, smirking. Goodshow shook his head.

"I haven't seen that kind of power since... Well, nevermind. The point is, you're strong enough to create a League. However, the logistics still stand. Ash, don't be offended when I say this, but I think that you should become an _unofficial_ league." Goodshow said.

But before Ash could even open his mouth in protest, the old man was already talking again.

" _But,_ that's only because the PLA would hinder you. Ash," He said, producing a document from his desk, "Read this, and then I'll explain more. Confused and a little dejected, Ash nodded and began to read the exert that Goodshow handed him.

 _Pokemon League Association Official Clause 1728 Article F,_

 _aka the Tobias Law_

 _Due to the Fair Use and Team Diversity Clauses of 1998 and 2004 respectively, Legendary Pokemon are banned from the official teams of the following trainer positions:_

 _Champion,_

 _Elite Four Member,_

 _Gym Leader,_

 _and_

 _Gym Trainer_

 _This is to uphold the fair challenge that the PLA has been offering for over one hundred years since it's founding in 1825. If Legendary Pokemon were (somehow) obtained and used by any of the above positions, some trainers would feel discouraged due to the sheer power that Legendary Pokemon hold. Furthermore, the objective of the Pokemon League Association is to provide a fair challenge to all trainers, regardless of skill level or experience. For further reasoning, see Pokemon League Association Official Clause 48 Article A, aka the Gym Leader Team Rotation Law._

* * *

Ash put down the paper with a sigh. Sure, his team of regular Pokemon was more than powerful enough for any challenger, but it wouldn't be fair to his legendary Pokemon if he never used them. They wanted to battle strong opponents as much as he did, after all.

Seeing the young boy's dejection, he pressed on to hammer his point into Ash.

"Also, we have tons of restrictions on the location of Leagues, the styles of battle in the Leagues, the teams of both Gym Leaders and Champions- even more so than the legendary limit- and loads of other restrictions on just about everything else." Goodshow continued. But, seeing the look of utter dejection on the boy's face, he sighed and continued,

Ash sighed and asked,

"And you're sure that there aren't any super-convenient World Tournaments or Championship Leagues or anything I can win to prove that The Hoopa League is powerful enough to be a League?

Goodshow shook his head confusedly, but finally said,

 _"But,_ that doesn't mean we can't help you, support you- both financially and with our people- and we can advertise for you guys too."

Ash's grin was about as wide as Route 42 when he said,

"I'll do it."

* * *

 _"So you didn't make the League Official?"_

Ash shook his head.

"No, but Charles Goodshow- that's the head of the Pokemon League, by the way- gave me some pretty good reasons why I shouldn't."

Arceus just nodded.

 _"Ah well. An unofficial League is okay too. Thanks for trying Ash."_ He said. Slowly, a grin developed on his face, and he continued, _"But I_ did _hear that you got to kick some Sinnoh butt there. Good job by the way. Lugia needed to stretch his wings."_

Ash just smiled and walked out of his kitchen.

XX

Splash Island is... well... _Wet,_ Ash decided.

Rocky and wet. It was like one massive tide pool, except Ash was _sure_ that he had never seen one this complex. Standing on a rock that overlooked the water, Ash peered into the crystal-clear water, trying to get a better feel for his surroundings. From what he could see from his vantage point, the water below the rocks were criss-crossed with tunnels and pits, and he could see some Lanturn and Eelectross swimming through. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Ash? Pikachu? Is that you?" A feminine voice asked. As soon as he turned around to respond, though, he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.

"Pikachu-Pi!" Pikachu cried, doing his best to hug the redhead.

"Oh my Arceus I missed you so much! Thank you _sooo_ much for including me on this." Misty earnestly said.

Ash broke the hug and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Aw it was nothing," The raven-haired trainer replied.

However, Misty didn't think that it was nothing, and Ash found himself laying on the rocks with a sore head looking up to a ticked Misty.

"So you're saying that giving me the chance to accomplish my dream was _nothing?_ So my dream is _nothing?_ " Ash was quick to salvage the situation, though, saying,

"No, no, Misty, you've got it all wrong. I just meant that I was doing what any good friend would do, honest! Your dream means as much to me as mine does!"

Now it was Misty's turn to rub the back of her head. Putting her mallet away, she extended a hand and pulled Ash up.

"Sorry Ash... I guess that I knew that. Still, I had to do that for old time's sake, right? By the way how's Brocko doing?"

* * *

_Somewhere on Rock Island_

'Oh Arceus it's getting closer. Why in the _hell_ did I challenge that Rampardos?!'

* * *

Ash shrugged it off, "Eh, I'm sure he's doing fine."

Misty nodded.

"Anyways, this island is weird. Basically, if you were to go swimming right now, you'd have no chance of capturing, say, a Wailord or a Relicanth. That's because on this island, theres a very set tide system. Every six hours, the water drains or seeps into the rock system. And it's not a small change either. The rock that we're standing on right now? It's two feet above the water. In about five hours it'll be a hundred feet above the water."

Ash's jaw dropped.

"So basically, be careful. You've got a flying-type here, right?" Misty asked.

Ash instinctively put his hand on Braviary's pokeball on his belt and he nodded. Misty, following his hand, gained a look of confusion when she saw the oddly-colored Pokeball.

"What's in there?" She inquired.

"You really, _really_ don't want to know."

* * *

Ten minutes later, Ash and Misty parted ways, each going to a different section of the tide pools. Facing Pikachu, who he left on the rocks to chill while he was underwater, he asked his starter,

"Is there anyone that you'd like to hang out with up here?"

"PikakaPikaPi!" His started cheered. Ash nodded, releasing Venusaur onto the rocks.  
"Be careful guys," He warned them, "This rock will get a lot higher sometime today. I'll try and be back before that happens though, so don't worry about it."

And with that, he dove into the water.

* * *

His first encounter with a Pokemon that he didn't already have was a Lanturn. Similing, he said,

"Hey! Do ya want to battle?" When the water-type dipped it's body in a sort of a nod, Ash smiled and released Kingdra and then swam away so he wasn't hit by any stray attacks.

* * *

_Kingdra POV_

This Lanturn is weak. Probably has Volt Absorb... I shot a Water Gun at it, damaging the water-type. Scratch that, definitely has Volt Absorb. I can defeat it with an Earth Power or two, I decided. With that in mind, I used the attack, not knowing that the effects would be absolutely devastating.  
As per the attack, a rock that was about five feet below us cracked, spewing molten earth. What I didn't expect, however, was for the water to absolutely evaporate in the presence of the magma. Suddenly, we found ourselves in a massive cavern completely devoid of water. Behind me some distance, I heard Ash yelp and fall to the ground. Disregarding that for the moment, I focused on saving Lanturn, who was flopping around trying to get away from the approaching lava. Floating over to it, I extended my tail and grabbed it around the middle, pulling it up into the air with me. I floated it over near Ash where I promptly used a Hyper Beam on it, rendering it unconscious. I dropped it near Ash and then focused on problem number two: the fucking lava.

Not knowing what to do, I used a Hydro Pump on where the lava was emerging, knowing in the back of my head that it wouldn't do anything. However, when it hit, something completely unexpected happened: the cavern shook. Without warning, the left wall of the cavern changed colors so that the rock was a fierce red, and the right wall became a deep, deep blue. The colors started at the back of the cavern and quickly made their way to the front, where the lava was spewing. When they hit each other, the two colors swirled and then made the design of a Pokemon that I had never seen. Ash though...

* * *

_Normal POV_

"VOLACANION!" Indeed, the legendary was slowly rising from the lava, roaring while it did. When it fully emerged, it roared and the lava stopped moving, instead bubbling on the ground where it lay. Ash scrambled to the back of the cavern and to higher ground, turning to face a chuckling Volcanion as he did.

 _"When fire and water mix..."_ Volcanion began,

 _"I am born. How can your overgrown fish stand up to that?"_

* * *

 **School. Ugh. That would be the reason that this chapter was so late. Anywho, this chapter was another one dedicated to the formation of the League... Now you guys know that it** _ **isn't**_ **going to be some sort of a seventh region, it's going to be more of a Battle Frontier kind of thing. I kinda put that 'Tobias Law' in there on a whim, to explain why exactly the trainer hasn't become a champion. It explains a lot, really. And Volcanion! My numero 4 on my favorite Pokemon list. God I love that Pokemon. Anyways, I'd expect Kingdra's ass to get whooped next chapter :)**

 **REVIEWS!**  
 **Yeeeessss! I hit review number EIGHTY! The number itself isn't really special to me, but to know that you guys like this story so much really makes me happy. Thanks guys, keep it up :D**

 **Omega the Espeon: Yes, yes I am. Unless the Island name would sound** _ **really**_ **weird with the Plate Name, like I was kinda up in the air about wether to call this island Splash Island or Water Island... And thank** _ **you**_ **, for reviewing!**

 **The Creator: Brace yourself for a long-ass reply.**

 **1) Thanks! I really tried to keep her close to what you wrote about her. She's a pretty cool character! 2) God damn it, I did. I'm seriously considering editing that chapter to include a scene with Smokey the Ursarang. 3) Nope! You should go read the fanfic 'Ashes of the Past.' I think it's on chapter number 133 right now? You'll get that reference if you do :) 4) Yep. Yes I was. I never really liked Porta Vista XD. 5) Dun dun dundun dun dun dun dundun dundun. Played on a bunch of airhorns. 6) How'd you find that out? But** _ **daaaaammmmn**_ **that team is powerful. Or his** _ **dad.**_ ***Dramatic music plays*. 7) Go re-read that response, and then realize that this story foucuses on two Pokemon from gens 4 & 6\. Actually, Generation Four was my favorite :). 8) I sure as hell want it to be! However, I'm not going to include anything on it until more information gets released. However, the Tao Trio will start alluding to it when Ash gets to them... 9) I hate to break it to you, but me naming Ash 'Z' was a complete accident. My finger slipped when I was going to type 'Alpha' and it turned into 'Zalpha." So I kept it Z. 10) THAT MOVIE WAS EPIC! And I have some plans about what I could do to incorporate that movie... 11) Shh. You weren't supposed to pick up on that... 12) IT's CLOBBERING TI- wait. Yeah, It's time to **_**knock some heads**_ **. 13) My favorite starter is the Froakie line, my favorite Pokemon in general is Camerupt, and my favorite Legendary is... Prepare to be shocked... HOOPA! 14) I noticed when I that review.**

 **bk42bk42: Just outta curiosity, what's the name mean? Anything? But anywho, I'm not sure how much I like that Lucario of his... And hey, we all make mistakes! It's all cool that you forgot to read some of this here bold text before reviewing. We're all good!**

 **God of Spirits- Spirit Black: Thanks! And yeah, I knew that the Crystal Onix would be a Rock-Type... If it wasn't something else in canon. I remember that episode, where Marril didn't work on it, but Charmeleon did, and I didn't want to change the typing all of the sudden. Thanks for pointing it out, though! And maybe your research of Crystal Formations will clue you in on what stone Onix will be when he evolves...**

 **MegaHeracross214:** "And so Ash lobbed a Fast Ball at the legendary, hitting her on the flank.  
'Alright Hoopa, I'm ready to go back to Home Island now.'

And then he was gone, leaving Meadow Island behind him."

 **That was the last couple sentences of the last chapter :) So yes, Ash captured her, but no, it wasn't in this chapter.**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Well, that's it for this time. See you on the flip side!**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**I. Am. BACK! YES! Finally, I've got the precious internet back up in my AMERICAN HOME! Don't get it? It's okay. I'll elaborate more in the ending AN. See ya then! :)**

"Overgrown... _Fish_?" Ash questioned.

"Okay, first of all, do you even know what a fish _is_?" Volcanion reluctantly nodded, so Ash continued. "Then you should know that Kingdra here is in no way, shape, or form a fish." Volcanion reluctantly nodded once again, so Ash continued one final time.

"So apologize to her."

This, however, set Volcanion off.

 _"SILENCE! I will not be commanded by you before you even capture me! Now battle!"_

Ash smirked and looked down at Kingdra.

"Ready to show Volcanion exactly how much of an overgrown fish you really are?" Kingdra bobbed her body as if nodding. Ash smiled.

"Sweet. Now use Scald!"

...

 _"Are you absolutely retarded or was that a joke."_

"I'd say it's a little bit of both. Earthquake!"

Despite the fact that they were still technically underwater, they were in a cavern so the ground-shaking attack acted as it was supposed to- disrupting the earth and dealing moderate damage to the legendary. However, Volcanion was quick to react with an attack that Ash had never seen before. The hoop on the back of Volcanion split into two parts and spewed out what looked to be a Hydro Pump, but had steam coming off of it. When it hit Kingdra, the dragoness shrieked in pain. Volcanion smirked.

 _"Now THAT's how you do Scald. Or, rather, Steam Eruption!"_ Chuckling at his own joke, Volcanion kept up the attack until Kingdra fainted, which took surprisingly little time. Ash grit his teeth, recalling his fallen dual-type.

"Volcanion, I really feel bad for doing this to you. But, no one makes fun of my friends. **BRAVIARY, I CHOOSE YOU!** " Ash yelled with a loudness that he didn't know he possessed. With a majestic squawk, the oddly-colored bird emerged from the pokeball, wings flapping. Then, suddenly, the bird stopped and looked straight at Ash, unmoving. Ash smirked. He had figured out during a training session with the bird that Braviary did better with no commands in a battle. However, the flying-type would remain motionless until Ash gave him the okay. But when he _did_ give the patriotic bird the okay, all hell broke loose.

And so Ash gave Braviary the okay.

With a scream, Braviary soared to the top of the cavern, dropping what seemed to be Magnet Bombs on Volcanion. Or, maybe they were Seed Bombs... He didn't really care either way, though, because it was working. Wether Braviary's attacks were actually hurting the legendary or if he was just so surprised Ash didn't know, but it seemed to be working. Suddenly, the bombing stopped and Volcanion heaved a sigh of relief, followed by him snarking,

 _"What's wrong, Fluffy? Too tired to-"_

And then Braviary picked up Pikachu, dropping the mouse in front of Volcanion. Confused, Ash stared at the electric-type until it happened.

Pikachu started to glow pink.

Ash tried to open his mouth, to scream to stop, but it was too late.

Pikachu used Return.

* * *

What followed was the biggest explosion that Ash had ever seen. It completely decimated the entire island, leaving only the chunk where the mansion lay intact. Ash could see dozens of water-type Pokemon lying prone in shallow pools of water, but what he couldn't see was Volcanion. That is, until he looked up.

Because lying on a very thin rock tower was an extremely unconscious Volcanion, who Ash casually lobbed an Ultra Ball at. Then, from behind him, he heard a squack. Braviary had already acquired an Ultra Ball and was gesturing at Volcanion. Ash shrugged and nodded, so Braviary shot into the sky and tapped the yellow sphere into Volcanion's flank. Then the flying-type proceeded to drop the Ultra Ball back into Ash's hands. A slow grin began to spread on Ash's face.

"Alright!" Ash cheered, "I caught a..."

 **"ASH GODDAMN KETCHUM!"** A new voice suddenly thundered. "What in the **HELL** did you do?!" Ah, so it was Misty.

Indeed, the redhead was stalking towards him, mallet in hand, ready to pound the raven-haired trainer into a pulp if he didn't explain himself. And explain himself he did.

Or, he tried to at least.

"Er, well, you see, I was, um, fighting Volcanion... And, uh, Pikachu might've used Return."  
Misty's jaw dropped.

"You mean that all of _this,_ " she gestured around the carnage, "Was because Pikachu used _Return_?" Ash nodded.

"Damn," She breathed. Then, louder, she continued, "Anyways, you've got ten minutes to capture as many water-types as you can before I kick your sorry ass all the way to the Digimon universe."

Ash's eyebrow shot up. "Digimon? What kind of Pokemon is that?" Misty looked confused as well.

"I-I don't really know... That just kinda popped into my head... Anyway, the point still stands. Run."

Wisely, Ash sprinted off, lobbing Pokeballs at a beached Wailord, Sharpedo, Swampert- who was knocked out, presumably from the explosion, Vaporeon, Huntail, and a Lanturn. All this had taken him eight or so minutes, so he was just calling out Pidgeot for transportation when the Hydro Pump hit him.

"And THAT is for destroying the island." A smug-looking Misty said, Starmie flanking her.

"Mie-Starmie!" The Pokemon chimed in. Ash just shrugged sheepishly and mounted his bird.

"Arceus," he yelled to the heavens, "Would you please restore the island?" Misty snorted.

"Do you really think that that'll-"

 _ **"Okay, I gotchu fam."**_ A divine voice rang out, and suddenly the the island was back to normal, and the duo was standing in the front room of her mansion.

Misty shook her head.

"Never again will I be surprised by anything when it comes to you," She said.

However...

" _Not even this?"_ A voice spoke from behind her. Misty whipped around, only to see that the Alpha Pokemon was standing about five feet behind her. So naturally, she did the only thing that she could do: faint.

* * *

"Wait, so why do you need me here, anyway?" Ash inquired, confused. "Is it because I destroyed Splash Island?" After Misty had fainted in shock, Arceus had teleported them to the Hall of Origins, for a reason that Ash didn't know. Quite frankly, it was a bit unnerving. Finally, the Alpha Pokemon turned to him and started talking.

" _Do you remember Team Flare?"_ Arceus asked.

Ash nodded slowly. Oh, he remembered Team Flare, alright. The crime syndicate from Kalos had come up with quite a few creative methods for destroying the world, from connecting Yvetal to a giant death ray to attempting to make a clone of Xerneas that had Yvetal's powers, the organization probably would've succeeded if Ash hadn't been there to step in. However, Arceus broke him from his thoughts.

" _Well, they're back. And this time, they've managed to harness the power of Zygarde. They found his Mega Stone, if you will, and experimented on it. They added so many foreign substances that once they used it on Zygarde, it reverted him back to his Cell Forme. This greatly exited them, and they experimented on his weak, prone form. They cloned him, too. And, well, long story short, Kalos now has Perfect Zygarde rampaging through it."_ Ash slowly nodded, trying to digest all the information. Arceus continued.

" _That's where you come in. You have a track record in saving the world, so I'm pairing you up with Groudon's Chosen One- although the lad doesn't know it yet, so don't mention that- to stop them. The boy's name is Slade, and he's an accomplished trainer, too, so he won't be a burden. Anyway, you shouldn't have too hard of a time fending off Zygarde and calming him down. The hard part will be breaking into Flare's lab and retrieving the original Zygarde. That being said, though, I'd take a legendary or two to help you. Prehaps Articuno would like to spread her wings, no?"_ Ash nodded, already knowing who he'd take. He was about to make the switches when Arceus piped up one last time.

" _Oh, and one last thing. Suicune! You can come out now."_ Confused, Ash turned around, only to see the legendary emerge from behind a pillar, a feature that was quite common in the large room that they were in.

" _I'm sending her with you- as your Pokemon- to help in the fight."_ Arceus said simply.

* * *

Grace Tower was a great place to build a base, Lysander mused. And indeed, it was. The towering rock formation was out of the way of any major cities, so not many travelling trainers passed it. And even if they did, two things kept them from exploring. One, the rock formation was absolutely huge, making for a hard climb, and there were no enterances other than the top of the rock. Lysander had personally seen to that one. Secondly, apparently there were rumors circulating about the Tower being a supposed landing site for UFOs. Lysander had absolutely no idea where that one came from, but he wasn't going to look a gift Rapidash in the mouth. No, instead he helped spread those rumors, which almost ensured that no one would find his operation. Well, a few brave souls did, but they were easily... _persuaded_... to see reason. Those that didn't, well, he had a legendary Pokemon held captive in the B6. He wasn't too worried about wayward trainers.

Except that Ketchum kid.

He had heard about what that kid was capable of from other crime bosses in the various regions, and this prompted him to keep a close eye on him, even if the kid didn't know it. What he saw, though, didn't worry him too much. The kid was an average trainer with loyal Pokemon. Big deal. However, that changed when he voiced his opinions to Archie of Team Aqua. The pirate had scoffed and proceeded to show Lysandre a video of the kid battling Kygore. _WITH GROUDON._ To say that that had altered his views on the raven-haired trainer was an understatement. When he asked around with the other crime bosses, he got a similar response from all of them: Don't underestimate Ash Ketchum, and never, _ever_ , put him in unbeatable odds.

He was broken from his thoughts by a nervous-looking grunt quivering before him. He smirked. He loved the feeling of power he got from the fear of the expendables. He spoke.

"What do you want, _grunt_?"

The grunt swallowed, stuttering a few times before finally managing to say,

"Lysandre sir, uh, there are, um, three legendary Pokemon, a Mandibuzz and a Flygon flying down through the chasm."

" _What?_ "

* * *

"So you're Ash Ketchum, huh?" A young man, with dirty brown hair asked.

"The one and only!" Ash replied. He titled his head thoughtfully. "So you're Slade? Last name Sol?"  
The now-named Slade's eyebrows shot up and he responded,

"Yeah, that's me." A smirk grew on his features and he continued, "Didn't know I had a fan club."

Ash scoffed.

"But anyway, I know that you didn't just Teleport to me for fun, so what do you want?" Slade said. Ash scratched the back of his head, Pikachu mimicking his motions, and he started explaining.

* * *

"So basically we need to infiltrate a Team Flare hideout, break out a legendary Pokemon, and stop said legendary's _perfect clone_ from destroying Kalos and potentially the world? And we're doing it _alone_?!"

Ash nodded.

"Hell. No. I'm calling in some backup." The Ground-Speciallist said, pulling out his PokeNav and dialing a number. It rang a few times before someone picked up.

"Hello?" Whoever Slade had called asked.

"Hey! It's me. Hope I didn't interrupt anything _important_ between you two," He raised his eyebrows a couple times here, "But we have a Code Aqua. Oh, and is Mark nearby?" Slade replied. Ash raised his eyebrow at the 'Code Aqua' part, but shrugged it off and kept listening.

"Mark is _always_ nearby. That guy can fucking appear from nowhere at all, I swear. And shit, really? Where are you? We'll teleport to you."

"I'm near Grace Tower, Kalos," Slade said, and proceeded to rattle off some coordinates. Moments later, Ash saw a bright flash from behind him. He turned around to see three people, two boys and a girl, recalling a Mega Sabelye, Gardevoir and Gallade respectively. It took a couple seconds for Ash to recognize the duo, but eventually he did, and his jaw dropped.

"Brendan? Sapphire? And some guy I've never heard of before in my life?"

They looked at him.

"Who are you?" The trio asked in unison.

"What? How did you? You _know_ these two?" Ash managed to stammer, ignoring the harsh look the third one was giving him. However, one couldn't blame Ash for disregarding the thrid member of the party, given just who the other two were...

Brendan- a legendary trainer (literally and figuratively) and one of the Dex-Holders. He had trounced the Hoenn Pokemon League three years before Ash first step foot in Hoenn, and had since gone missing. His Swampert was said to be nigh-unstoppable, and no one had beat it in years, except for Sapphire. Boyfriend of Sapphire.

Sapphire- a legendary trainer as well and also one of the Dex-Holders. She had managed to beat Platinum in a Pokemon battle during her first year of training, but had never competed in a League. She disappeared around the same time that Brendan did. Her Blaziken was almost invincible, had only ever been stopped by Brendan. Girlfriend of Brendan.

And here they were, standing in front of Ash.

It's only natural that he was astounded. The two were _legends_ in the Pokemon World, only equalled by Red and the likes.

"And _I_ am Mark. Mark Kuradiesu. Chosen One of Darkrai," He smirked, expecting a reaction from Ash. He got one.

"Cool! I'm the Chosen One of Lugia, probably Azelf, definitely Manaphy, Meloetta, Mewtwo, and oh, yeah. I'm Arceus' Chosen One as well." Ash replied cheerfully.

Silence met his statement.

"Are you kiddi-" Mark began, but Slade, sensing the tension, started filling Brendan, Sapphire and Mark in on everything.

XX

"So basically we're swooping in, saving a legendary Pokemon, and then destroying everything?" Sapphire summed up.

"Don't forget the rampaging Perfect Zygarde. That's a pretty big part too." Brendan reminded her.

"Oh, yes. However could I forget the GIANT-ASS LEGENDARY POKEMON!"

By this time, Ash had recovered from his fan-attack and was ready to go. Instinctively, he pulled out Articuno's Pokeball from his belt but then hesitated, not knowing how the others would react. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't see Brendan and Sapphire do the same exact thing. He took a deep breath.

"Hey, please don't freak out," All three started, then blinked.

"You first," They all chorused again.

"No, yo-" They all began.

"ASH! You go first. Brendan, Sapphire? _Shut up_." Slade interrupted.

Ash sighed. "Alright, here goes nothing. I choose you!" And with a brilliant flash of light, Articuno appeared in all it's glory. Ash sighed again, expecting the other three to act awed. However, he wasn't anticipating the chuckles that met the legendary's arrival, which caused the proud bird to let out an indignant squawk.

"Let me guess. You were scared that we'd react badly to your legendary?" Ash nodded, wondering how they had guessed it. Suddenly, the two legendary trainers pulled out a necklace with a Master Ball on it. Raising their hands, they tapped the release button and, to Ash's great surprise, released...

"A Latias and a Latios?" Ash asked, mostly unsurprised. Apparently the duo was expecting a greater reaction- Brendan and Sapphire both had raised an eyebrow at Ash's nonchalant reaction.

"Yep!" Sapphire said.

"They're one of a kind!" Brendan added. Ash's eyebrow shot up, and he grabbed his Xtranciever, transferring two of his Pokeballs to his belt.

"Really?" Ash asked. "Are you _sure_?" Brendan's eyes narrowed and Sapphire jokingly reSladeed,

"Well, _you_ don't have one, so-" She was cut off by Ash snapping open his two transferred Pokeballs, revealing a stronger-looking Eon Duo.

"And I've battled a guy who _at least_ owns a Latios." Ash said. Then, thoughtfully, he added, "And I know a Nurse Joy who has a Latias too..." At this point, all gusto had left the two trainers, but they managed to perk up.

"Whatever!" Brendan exclaimed, "We've got a mission. Let's fly, Popo!"

"Yeah!" Sapphire yelled, "Psyfly, lets soar!"

...

"Did you guys actually nickname two fucking legendaries _Popo_ and _Psyfly_?"

"Shut up."

XX

Within the next ten minutes, Latias and Latios had been Mega-Evolved, Articuno had been given the Ice Treasure, which changed her forme to Primal, Slade had released a Flygon, and Mark had sent out a Mandibuzz.

 **(Quick AN: If anyone wants to see the pictures of the alternate forme/primal/Mega Evolved Legendaries, email me at theogpokemonmaster gmail. I'd be happy to send you all the pictures. All copyright on the pictures belong to their original artists. Please don't sue me.)**

Once this was done, the trainers climbed aboard their respective Pokemon and they took off, Latias and Latios getting to the top of the tower significantly faster than Primal Articuno and Flygon did. Once the slower aviators had arrived, they found Brendan and Sapphire already looking into the rock formation. Far below Ash could make out the forms of Team Flare Grunts, who were hustling around the floor of the formation. Looking back up, he gave a start when he noticed that all eyes were on him.

"Well...?" Brendan said.

"What's the plan?" Sapphire added.

 _I... Actually have a plan,_ Ash realized. He began talking. "Alright, here's the plan: Slade and Mark will fly down to the bottom of the cavern, claiming to be clueless photographers for the Lumiose Times. While all the grunts are distracted, Brendan, Sapphire, and I will swoop down and do as much damage as we can before the alarms go off. Then-"

"And they're already halfway down, aren't they," Ash asked Pikachu, who gave an exasperated sigh and agreed,

"Piiiika."

* * *

Once Ash had caught up with the rest of the trainers, he found that they already had their own plan, which was: 1) Fuck shit up, and 2) Rescue Zygarde. A good a plan as any, Ash figured, but it sounded like a twelve-year-old had thought of it. Nevertheless, though, Ash decided to go along with it and soon he found himself descending on Articuno next to two other legendaries and a Flygon. Needless to say, this didn't quite go unnoticed by Team Flare.

He was almost halfway down when the first alarm went off. However, it was quickly silenced by a Dragon Pulse from Popo- Ash still had to stifle a laugh whenever he looked at the majestic legendary- and a Mist Ball from Psyfly.

When he finally reached the ground, he found himself swarmed by a horde of Flare Grunts, all of whom released Slugma.

"Freeze!" One brave grunt yelled.

Ash almost laughed. Almost. Instead, he grabbed one of his three non-legendary Pokeballs and lobbed it into the air, releasing the beast inside. With a roar, Ash's Garchomp was released. Wasting no time, Ash instructed Articuno to hover a few yards above the ground. When he was satisfied with the height, he turned to Garchomp and yelled,

"Earthquake!"

And then it was over. Many, many grunts and their pokemon all found refuge in the bliss of unconsciousness. Looking up from the carnage, Ash thanked Garchomp but didn't recall him and started searching for the Hoenn Duo and Slade. Slade and Mark were easy enough to find; they were battling off a horde of grunts with a Flygon, a Golurk, a Swampert, a Mega-Evolved Sabelye, a Mandibuzz, and a Houndoom. Brendan and Sapphire, however, were nowhere to be seen, although the massive hole where they landed was a bit of a clue as to their whereabouts.

Thinking quickly, Ash released the second member of his party- his Aggron, and instructed him to aid Slade if he needed it. The dual-type nodded, lumbered his way over to the horde and started casually tossing people and pokemon aside. Shaking his head, Ash recalled Articuno- there was no way in hell that she would fit in the hole- and started to run over to the hole, Garchomp at his side.

When he reached it, he slowly looked over the edge, careful to not lose his balance. However, what he saw almost did make him. Under Grace Tower was a lab. Okay, big shock. Team Flare _had_ made it their base of operations. However, he wasn't ready for what he saw next. When he glided down on Garchomp's back, he saw Pokemon. He saw an Eevee that looked about ready to die curled up in a ball in the back of it's cage. When he got closer, though, the poor thing lept at the bars and-

"What the _fuck_? Did it just _transform_ into an _Umbreon_?!"

Yes, yes it did.

The Eevee had somehow shifted into an Umbreon and was growling at him menacingly. Turning his head to other cages, he saw a Poliwhirl that was constantly shifting between a Poliwrath and a Politoed, and a Castform that was cycling through all of it's formes. Ash barely had to think for a second before he growled,

"Garchomp. Brick Break open those cages." On his Pokedex, he quickly sent an emergency message to all Officer Jennys in the area. With the discovery of Pokemon in the labs, Ash no longer could destroy everything... At least until they were gone.

Once the Pokemon were released from their cages, they seemed to realize that Ash was a good guy and refrained from attacking him mercilessly. He did, however, get a warning growl from the Eevee- who had shifted into a Jolteon. Turning around, he noticed an elevator next to a bunch of empty cages. Recalling Garchomp- there was no way that he would fit- he left the Pokemon behind and stepped in.

Looking around, he saw that the elevator was rather posh. It was carpeted with a thick red- surprise surprise- rug and had mirrors on every wall, giving the elevator a rather luxurious feel. On his right he saw a panel of buttons: G,B1,B2,B3,B4,B5, and B6. He scoffed.

"Well _obviously_ Zygarde is going to be on B6. I think I've played enough video games to know that."

Jabbing his finger onto the button, Ash gave a start when the elevator instantly started moving downwards. When the elevator doors opened again, Ash saw himself looking into a long, dark room. The only thing that was giving off light was an aquarium in the back, which illuminated just enough for Ash to see a silhouette of someone standing in front of it. Ash walked about halfway across the room before the person in front of the water started to speak. However, Ash cut him off.

"Are you fucking _kidding me_? This has got to be the most stereotypical thing I've ever seen in my life!" Ash yelled out. Suddenly, all the lights cut on and Ash could see Lysandre standing in front of the aquarium, hands spread out.

"Well _I_ thought it was cool," Lysandre indignantly replied.

"Well you were _wrong_."

Lysandre ignored that comment, instead pressing a button on a remote he pulled out from a pocket. Instinctively, Ash tensed up, grabbing Suicune's Pokeball, waiting for the trap that he knew was coming. However, it wasn't a trap. Slowly, the aquarium descended into the floor, opening up a well-lit corridor. At the end of it, Ash could see the thing that he had come to rescue lying prone on the floor. It was a little green blob, only about as big as his backpack. And it looked weak. _Very_ weak. Ash followed Lysandre almost to the end of the corridor, before he stopped at a point about five feet from the legendary. Briefly, Ash wondered why there were no scientists bustling around it, but Lysandre answered his internal question.

"Beautiful, isn't it. One of the world's strongest legendaries reverted to _this_ ," he gestured to the Zygarde Cell.

"We usually have him on B2, but we moved him down here when we saw _three goddamn legendaries_ flying down the tower."

"And a Flygon and a Mandibuzz" Ash said.

"What?"

"There was a Flygon too, and a Mandibuzz," he repeated.

Lysandre scoffed. "Well forgive me if we didn't notice a Flygon and a Mandibuzz in the midst of a _LATIOS, LATIAS, AND A FUCKING ARTICUNO_."

"Oh, and by the way, Arceus is absolutely pissed off at you."

This managed to catch Lysandre off guard.

"W-What? Arceus is pissed off... At _me_? And you expect me to believe this _how_?" He replied after a pause.

"Well he's the one who told me where your base was."

"I'm not even going to respond to that.

"Anyway," Ash drawled, "It was nice to know you, but I think that I'm going to leave now." He lobbed a Pokeball at Zygarde, hitting it in the side.

The legendary didn't even struggle.

"What?!" Lysandre roared, thrusting a Pokeball in midair. "You cannot leave unless you beat me in a battle! Go! Pyroar!"

"Suicune, I choose you."

* * *

Exactly one minute and thirteen seconds later, Ash, Pikachu, and Suicune were ascending back up the elevator after sweeping all fourteen Pokemon that Lysandre was carrying. All of them were fire-types, with the exception of his Gyarados, which Pikachu took out before the poor dual-type could even Mega-Evolve. Ash looked down at his right hand, which held the Master Ball in which he had captured the Zygarde Cell. The legendary had taken one glance at Ash before leaping onto his unoccupied shoulder much to Pikachu's amusement. Ash had caught the Cell a few moments later, pulling a Master Ball out from his bag.

And then it disappeared.

The Master Ball vanished from Ash's hands without the slightest noise or indication that it was going to; it was there one second and then gone the next. Ash was about to have Pikachu short-circuit all the electricity in the entire base until he heard a voice in his head.

 _"Chill, Ash. Arceus needed it to restore Zygarde to his normal form. You'll get it back soon, bro."_

Definitely Hoopa.

'Well,' Ash thought, 'it's time to go capture a rampaging legendary.'

* * *

Brendan and Sapphire had a rather easy time incapacitating every Grunt and Admin that came their way. Mumu (Brendan's Swampert), and Chic (Sapphire's Blaziken) easily dispelled everything that came their way.

And they didn't even have to Mega Evolve.

Currently, Sapphire had turned away from the battle and released Elec (her Manetric) and was short-circuiting everything. If it ran on electricity and it was in Team Flare's base, Elec had fried it. After a few short minutes of Elec constantly discharging electricity into, well, everything, she recalled him and turned back to the battle just in time for her to see Mumu and Chic destroy yet another admin. After a few minutes of nothing happening, the four hastily made their way back to the ground level of the base.

While Ash had been confronting Lysandre and Slade had been fighting off the Flare Grunts, Hoenn's star duo had been systematically destroying everything in the top five levels of the base. Nothing had escaped their wrath, save for the Pokemon that were being experimented on, which were now in the care of the local Officer Jennys. It had been a couple years since they had trashed a base like this, but the couple was pleased to find that their destructive abilities had not diminished in the slightest.

* * *

However, you probably don't really care about what Brendan and Sapphire are up to right now, given that Ash is about to face down a goddamn Perfect Zygarde. I gotchu. So back to him.

Damn, there goes the fourth wall.

* * *

It was rather easy to find Perfect Zygarde. However, battling him was going to be a different story. Ash had not realized just how _huge_ this thing was when he had agreed to fight it.

And _oh shit, did it just see me_? Ash thought in alarm. Yep, Zygarde did, and one of its massive eyes was staring right at him. Gulping, Ash gripped Glalie's Pokeball and threw it as hard as he could straight in to it's eye.

...Okay, so it wasn't Ash's best idea. After the small sphere hit Perfect Zygarde's eye, Glalie emerged and everything was silent for a couple seconds.

And then Zygarde roared. The sheer force alone sent Ash flying from the back of Articuno and through the air. While he was spinning around, he caught brief glimpses of Articuno rocketing towards him.

She wasn't going to make it.

Ash had just resigned himself to whatever injuries he would get when he something slammed into his back. Or rather, he had slammed into something midair. Tentatively, he opened one eye and saw the Pokemon that had saved him from serious injury. It was a Dragonite.

"I've got you, Ash." Came a female voice from below them. Ash looked down and saw the familiar bush of purple hair.

"Iris!" He called, "Thank you so much! But... How'd you _get_ here?"

"Arceus sent us. Zygarde is still adjusting to his form up in the Hall and Arceus figured that you'd need backup."

Ash nodded, but someting stood out in Iris' explanation to him.

"Us?"

However, it wasn't Iris that answered. Instead, he saw seventeen figures walk up from the other side of the hill Ash was standing on. It was the Islanders, Ash realized with a start.

Brock was the first to reach where he was standing, and gave him a curt nod before shouting,

"Onix, let's rock!'

Fifteen shouts followed.

"Swellow, lets soar!" Winnoa.

"Gardevoir, it's time to knock some heads!" Zero.

"Hariyama, surfs up!" Brawly.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie and Arbok.

"And make it double!" James, Persian, and Weezing.

"Misty calls Starmie!" Misty. (No shit)

"Simisage, let's spice this battle up!" Cilian.

"Metagross, I choose you!" Max.

"Vivillion, let's go!" Viola.

"Metagross, time to battle." Steven.

"Gengar." Morty.

"Slaking, I choose you!" Norman.

"Blaziken, let's heat this battle up!" Flannery.

"Or we could not... GO ABOMASNOW!" Candice.

"Luxray, shock this up!" Clemont.

And for once, Ash was the inspired one. Grabbing the Pokeball at his side, he yelled,

"Go! Suicune!"

* * *

"I really owe you guys a major thanks," Ash addressed his League, tossing his new Master Ball.

"Without you I probably wouldn't have been able to beat Zygarde. I still can't believe how fucking _huge_ that thing was!" He continued.

Max shrugged it off.

"Eh, it was no big problem, Arceus just teleported us here and Hoopa briefed us... Man, I'm still getting over the fact that I can mention legendaries casually now..."

And with that, the Islanders disappeared in the familiar flash of Teleport.

Well, except one.

Iris stayed behind, nervously shuffling her feet.

"Iris?" Ash asked. The girl's head snapped up, eyes looking anywhere but his.

"What's wrong?"

The dragon-specialist smacked her lips together a couple times before blurting out,

"Wellimsupposedtobethechampionofunovasoineedtogobackimreallysorryash."

"...Can you repeat that any faster?" Ash responded. Iris took a deep breath and explained.

"Well, Arceus told me that I'm supposed to be the Champion of Unova. So, uh, that means I've got to go back Ash. I'm really sorry. But, if you don't want me to-"

Ash cut her off with a chuckle.

"Iris, do you want to do this?"

She fervently nodded.

"Then do it. And remember that you're always welcome in the islands." Ash said.

Iris shot forward and hugged Ash, taking the raven-haired trainer by surprise. Suddenly, though, she released him and said,

"Wait. I caught a Latias. Do I need to release her?" Ash thought a moment before responding:

"I don't think so, so long as Arceus didn't say anything about it."

"Well, I guess this is it."

"Uh, hell no it isn't, so don't get sappy on me. I'll see you later. Oh, and Ash, stop being such a kid."

And with that, Iris snapped open one of her Pokeballs and a Latias was quickly released and Mega-Evolved before Iris hopped on. And with a final wave, the legendary and her trainer rocketed off into the horizon.

* * *

 **Slade's Pokemon team: Flygon, Golurk, Swampert~, Camerupt~, Diggersby, Claydol.**

 **He's from Mossdeep, Hoenn. Traveled Hoenn, Unova, and Kalos (In progress)**

 **I. Am.** **BACK!**

 **WOOOOOOOO! So, for those of you who don't know, I moved to America recently, where I was able to get a great job in the video game industry. So, for a while, I was without internet. When I finally got it, though, duty called. I have been so busy for the last couple weeks that the only time I had to edit this chapter was late,** _ **late**_ **at night.**

 **But enough about me.**

 **Reviews!**

 **The Creator: I'm so sorry man. Really, I am. When I reuploaded chapter 12, I felt like the world's stupidest man. You have no idea how much it** _ **sucked**_ **to see it on my phone and not be able to do anything about it. And you know what? Ash** _ **does**_ **need some Jesus in his life. And as an apology for this chapter... I could pull some shit from the realm of** _ **author'sfreewillia**_ **and give Zero that Pokemon. Yes,** _ **that**_ **Pokemon. :)**

 **animal lover13- Nope, no it wasn't. LIke I said earlier, it was a complete accident and I apologize for that.**

 **Guest- Grow a pair and review as a profile.**

 **Omega the Espeon- Heh, no problem. Once again, sorry about the repeat chapter. And I think I'm gonna stick with naming the islands after the plates unless the name sucks.**

 **boomingmaster- That was supposed to be an AN, as implied by the title.**

 **OMAKE!**

Ash slowly slid off of Primal Articuno, his face shifting into an expression of pure determination. Turning his head to his shoulder, he nodded at Pikachu, whose features were set in a thin line. His starter leapt off of his shoulders, awaiting Ash to call out the undoubtably futile attack on the Perfect Legendary. Still though, it would buy their friends time. Suddenly, Ash's voice cut through the silence of the once-lush forest.

"Pikachu!" He began.

"Use Return!"

* * *

"Wow, that was actually a really easy battle, huh buddy?" Ash asked of his starter, hands sliding over the Pokeballs that housed his two Zygarde.

Pikachu nodded enthusiastically.

XXX

 **Well, I think that that wraps this up nicely. Remember, if you want to get in touch with me, I have this email set up at theogpokemonmaster at gmail!**

 **~ThenowofficiallyAmerican OGPokemonMaster.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Happy whatever doesn't offend you!**

Iris had a suprisingly easy time claiming the Unovan Championship. She simply showed up, challenged Catlin, Marshall, Shauntal and Grimsley to battles, _destroyed_ them with her new skills and Pokemon, and then faced Aaron in what Iris would've claimed was the easist battle of the day.

'Seriously,' Iris had thought, 'Who decided to put the _first_ member of an Elite Four as an intern Champion?'

She couldn't use her Latias, of course, due to the Tobias Law, but the team she had chosen - Dragonite, Haxorus, Salamence, Noivern, Septile (Which she could Mega Evolve due to a stone Brick- no, Brock, Iris remembered, had sent her a while back), and her Altaria.

But now, sitting on the throne that belonged to the Unovan Champion, all the while having her Noivern send Air Cutters at any lingering Bug-types, her thoughts drifted back to Ash and how she completely deserted him. She knew that he wouldn't blame her, of course, but she still felt guilty considering that Ash had basically made her dreams come true and she had just left him high and dry when she should've just been honest with Ash when she first saw him on the islands - after all, she knew that she'd have to go eventually and claim the title she had been training for - but she had been so... _intrigued_ by Ash's offer.

However, she realized that she had bigger problems when a young woman stepped into her chamber, her nervous eyes betraying her facade of confidence. Silently, Iris recalled Noivern while the girl was walking towards her, eyes darting around the room and hands shaking. Taking a deep breath when the girl was just a few feet away from her, she started the speech she had been rehearsing since she was a child.

"The Trainers who come here are Trainers who desire victory with _every_ fiber of their being! And they are battling alongside Pokemon that have been through countless different battles. If I battle with people like that, not only will I get stronger, my Pokemon will, too! And we'll get to know each other. OK! Brace yourself! I'm Iris, former Hoopa Leaguer and Unova's Champion, and I'm going to _defeat you_!

* * *

Ash was in a bind. He had quickly inducted Slade and Mark into the Hoopa League, guiding them to their islands and giving them the mandatory spiel from Arceus, but he now had to fill the void that was left with Iris' departure. His first thought was Lance, his childhood role model, but then he thought of his recent encounter with the fiery-haired Champion. Two things made Lance a bad choice, and both of them were in the last sentence: 'his recent encounter with the firey-haired Champion,' and 'Champion.' Then his thoughts drifted over to Claire, but he quickly shout them down. Her arrogant attitude probably wouldn't mesh well with the other islanders. So that eliminated his only two real choices. He only hoped that Rayquaza or Palkia or _some_ legendary Dragon-Type happened to have a Chosen One that he could recruit.

'Maybe I'll go ask Dialga... Haven't seen him in a while...' Ash thought.

However, until then Ash would just have to rock down to Electric Avenu - er, Zap Island. Quickly making his way over to the training field where all his Pokemon were currently relaxing in, he recalled a number of his Pokemon and then called on Hoopa for a portal.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu appeared in front of a simple, two-story house that reminded him an awful lot of Professor Oak's laboratory. However, Ash figured that it was Clemont's house, so he guessed that the appearance made the house look much, _much_ smaller than it actually was. However, he wasn't given much time to admire the house before the Electrode came catapulting at him.

 _"Security breach,"_ a mechanical voice intoned, _"Activating defense protocol Electrode Omega."_

And then the Electrode used Self-Destruct.

The explosion sent trainer and Pokemon sailing through the air for a considerable amount of time before Ash gathered his wits and sent out his Magnezone, who promptly caught both him and his faithful starter and lowered them to the ground near a mountain. Looking up, Ash saw that the peak was surrounded by a massive thunderstorm with lightning occasionally flashing in the black clouds. Turning his head back towards the ground, Ash saw the entrance to the mountain surrounded by sharp-looking stones. When he walked closer to the entrance, he saw an ancient-looking sign that said

 **Maximum of four Pokemon**

Shrugging, Ash released his Nidoking and Golem before stepping into the cave.

And instantly felt much, _much_ shorter. Ash didn't think much of it, though, chalking up the disorientation to the electricity in the air. He turned around to make sure his four Pokemon were following him and almost fainted at what he saw. Nidoking, who was a couple feet taller than Ash, now towered over him, and Magnezone and Golem looked like giants.

 _"Ash?"_ A voice in his head spoke. Ash realized that he recognized it - PIkachu had somehow mastered telepathy.

 _"No I didn't, you dolt. Listen, somehow you managed to inhabit my body, and now I can't do shit. So if you could please exit the cave, that'd be great."_

Complying, Ash/Pikachu sprinted to the exit... Only to hit an invisible wall.

 _"Owwww," Pikachu moaned, "You've really got to keep your - my?- speed in check. Anyway, I don't think we'll be leaving anytime soon, so get moving. The only way to go is up, after all."_

Across the room, Ash saw an Electivire, just standing there, staring at him.

Ash took a step backwards.

The Electivire took a step forwards when Ash was inexplicably paralyzed.

Ash took another step.

So did the Electivire.

And so it went until the Electivire finally made the final step towards Ash and the two stared at each other until finally Ash realized that it was his 'turn' to do something.

 _"Do an Iron Tail,"_ Pikachu's voice echoed in his mind.

Surprisingly, Ash found that he knew how to preform the move, and he jumped up, swung his tail, and smashed it into the Electivire's head. Suddenly, without warning, a giant, blood red "999" appeared over Electivire's head, and the Pokemon disappeared, only to suddenly reappear.

'Holy shit Pikachu, is this how powerful you actually are?'

 _"Pretty much,"_ his starter replied.

Then, from somewhere in the cave an ancient voice boomed out:

 _"Hey!_ _ **Electivire**_ _would like to join your team! Will you accept_ _ **Electivire**_ _as a member?"_

"Uh, yes?" Ash hesitantly replied, unsure about the resonating voice.

 _"Congratulations!_ _ **Electivire**_ _has joined Team Ketchum!"_

And the Pokemon was promptly warped out of the mountain.

 _"What. The. Fuck just happened."_

'Pikachu,' Ash thought back, 'I've got no idea.'

* * *

Nine floors later brought Ash to a large, oval-shaped cavern with a statue of a Kangaskhan in the middle. Ash had managed to 'recruit' a Luxray, Jolteon, Ampharos, and a Manetric with the help of Pikachu's sarcastic coaching.

 _"Use Mega Punch, you moron."_

 _"Are you_ _mental_ _? You don't use electric attacks on an Electivire!"_

 _"Run, bitch! Are you trying to get us both killed?"_

And yet Ash probably would've been royally screwed without him, so he put up with the sarcasm. However, he was brought out of his thoughts on his smartass starter when his three team members let out a strangled cry and suddenly warped out of the room.

Frantically, Ash whipped his head around the room, trying to find the culprit - probably an Alakazam or another psychic-type, but instead he found a Heliolisk crumpled up where he had entered the room via the magic teleportation stairs. Cautiously, Ash walked up to the Pokemon and prodded it with one of his paws. When that didn't work, Ash pulled out an Oran Berry that he had picked up and force-fed it to the electric-type.

 _That_ seemed to work as the Heliolisk suddenly shot up, coughing and sputtering, before noticing the Pikachu that stood in front of him. Lightning-fast, the Heliolisk shot up and raised it's paws in a surrendering gesture.

"Hey, if you could _not_ fry me, I can explain what is going on," the Heliolisk said.

Shrugging mentally, Ash nodded and the now-relieved Helioisk continued speaking.

"Well, I was going to explore this mountain, but when I walked in, I found that I somehow managed to inhabit my Heliolisk's body! I tried to climb to the top and hopefully find a way out - the entrance is blocked by some kind of force field - but as soon as I stepped onto the peak, I was smited! My real name is Clemont. The body that you're seeing is my Heliolisk."

Ash couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter.

"Wha-? No, I swear, I'm not lying! Don't smite me!"

If it were possible, Ash would've laughed harder. Since it wasn't, though, he spoke.

"Clemont, don't worry. I'm not gonna smite you. I'm actually kinda surprised that neither you _nor_ Heliolisk recognized this Pikachu, considering that he travelled with you guys for a better half of the Kalos League. It took a moment before realization dawned upon the duo.  
 **(Clemont and Heliolisk)**

"...Ash?"

"The one and only!" Ash replied.

"How did... Is that _Pikachu_... Do you know why this is happening... Screw that, _why_ this is happening...?" Clemont stammered.

Ash cleared his throat and distinctly tasted static.

"Ahem. I have no idea, yes, no, I've got no clue."

Clemont thought on that for a bit before finally nodding.

"Alright. So, wanna go kick some ass as our starters? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you know."

'...Somehow I get the feeling that this _isn't_ a one-time thing...' Ash thought.

 _'Retweet.'_ Pikachu's voice chimed. _'Only, hopefully next time you'll get to_ pick _the Pokemon you inhabit.'_

* * *

Once Ash and Clemont walked out of the cavern, Ash felt a tug on his navel before being whisked upwards. When he regained his orientation, he saw that he and Clemont had appeared in a small, brightly-lit cavern that was crackling with electricity. With almost no warning, an Eelektross appeared in the middle of the room and took one step towards the duo.

So Ash took a step towards the Eelektross.

So did Clemont.

Then Eelektross took another step.

And then Pikachu gently reminded Ash that he could use a long-range attack.

 _"Use Quick Attack, you dolt!"_

And so Ash did, speeding two spaces across the floor and slamming into the Eelektross, doing major damage but not knocking it out. From the space next to him, Clemont threw some sort of rock at the pokemon which surprisingly did massive amounts of damage to the Eel Pokemon.

Finally, Eelektross took the last step towards the trainers-turned-Pokemon and the three proceeded to have a stare-off while Ash and Pikachu contemplated what to do.

 _'Well, I don't have any attacks that are really effective against an Eelektross... But you knew that since you know all my attacks. And you can't really pull off some crazy strategy out of your ass considering the weird one-turn one-move thing we've got going, so I don't know... heh. Just punch it or something. Let Clemont take care of the Eel.'_ Pikachu ranted.

So Ash punched the Eelektross.

And it dealt exactly eight hundred and forty seven damage points and knocked the Pokemon out. As what was per usual in this whacked-up dungeon, Eelektross disappeared shortly before reappearing with the familiarmessage:

 _"Hey!_ _ **Eelektross**_ _would like to join your team! Will you..."_

But Ash drowned it out, half-heartedly saying yes when the time came while staring at his - Pikachu's- paw. As long as Ash had been in Pikachu's body, he could _feel_ the different type energies when he used attacks of their type. However, when he had punched Eelektross just then, he felt all the type's energies in the one attack.

Ash was astounded. If this mystery attack had all the attack types, what if he could teach Pikachu to _separate_ the types into different types before attacking? The possibilities would be virtually endless: a ground-typed Thunderbolt, a water-typed Grass Knot... He would be the most unpredictable trainer _ever_! Pikachu would virtually be _unstoppable_.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Clemont shouting at him while fighting the Raikou and Thundurus that had teleported into the cavern. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice when the ancient voice started speaking again.

 _"Hey! Listen! Arceus dammit Ash, I try to do_ _ **one**_ _cool thing, get Arceus to set this dungeon up and you don't even notice the_ _ **mini-boss fight?!**_ _"_ The ancient voice, or more precisely, Hoopa was pretty pissed.

 _"Whatever. Just take_ _ **Thundurus**_ _and_ _ **Raikou**_ _and go fight the actual bosses."_

With that, Hoopa dropped Ash and Clemont through a portal and the fight began.

* * *

When the duo appeared atop the mountain, they were hardly surprised by the appearances of Zekrom and Zapdos, but for completely different reasons.

Clemont was hardly surprised because Raikou had hinted at these two being the bosses after he had beaten him.

Ash was hardly surprised because he was still lost in his thoughts about splitting typings. When Hoopa was ranting to him he had thought of the possibility of _double_ -typed attacks, like Flying Press, that would make any Pokemon that had more than one weakness' life an absolute hell.

He was only broken from his theorising when he realized that he was back in his own body, and that Clemont was trying to command both Pikachu and Heliolisk and failing. The battle was a normal one (hallelujah), so Ash decided to take over commanding his starter.

"Pikachu, give Zekrom a Ground-typed Thunder!"

That statement had the effect of freezing everyone except for Pikachu, who tried to carry out Ash's command by letting loose a Thunder attack on Zekrom.

"...Ash, are you okay?" Clemont asked.

And then Pikachu figured it out.

In the blink of an eye, the Thunder attack that Pikachu was maintaining became a _lot_ more painful for Zekrom. Interestingly, the attack also took on a tan hue, but Ash was more concerned by the effects of the attack.

The surprise and typing of Pikachu's attack had managed to knock Zekrom off of the cliff, where Paralysis had taken over and was forcing the legendary Pokemon to plummet to his certain fainting.

After Pikachu's display, Clemont was looking at the mouse with a look of awe and confusion.

Zapdos, however, was looking at Ash's starter with a look of total and abolsute _fear_.

"Chu-pikapikapi!" Pikachu shouted to Zapdos.

And with that, Pikachu shifted his Thunder attack towards Zapdos.

* * *

The thing about immunities is that there really is no such thing. Ghost-types are immune to Normal attacks because phasing through normal-based attacks comes naturally to them and they don't even have to focus on doing it whereas they have to focus harder on phasing through other types of attack. So when a Ghost-type's focus is disrupted on a subconscious level, like what Odor Sleuth _really_ does, a ghost can be hit with a normal-type attack.

With flying-types, it's the simple fact that they're not touching the ground, so ground-based moves like Earthquake don't do anything to them. However, if a flying-type is touching the ground for the duration a ground-type attack is used, it deals regular damage. Even if they hit, ground-typed attacks are considered weak on flying-types because the flying type can just spring back into the air and negate the rest of the attack.

So when Pikachu used his ground-typed Thunder attack, it had the same effect as hitting Zapdos with an Earthquake while it was chained to the ground.

It hurts.

A lot.

And when flying-types have a secondary typing of Electric, they're even more susceptible to the ground-typed moves when they affect them, because they haven't built a resistance to the moves because they don't _have_ to.

And so Zapdos was down for the count with one move as well.

Nobody moved for a couple minutes save for Ash who was busy capturing the horde of Pokemon that he had 'recruited' while inside the mountain, Zapdos and Zekrom included. When he finished, though, Clemont snapped out of his stupor and asked one question:

"Ash.. _What in the world_ was that?"

* * *

Half an hour saw Ash trying to explain what Pikachu did to Clemont in one of his labs. It had turned out that Ash's initial guess was right - there was in fact more to Clemont's house than what it's appearance would imply. It turned out that there was a massive, sprawling lab system that was based under his house, and it was here that Ash was trying to explain to Clemont how Pikachu had pulled off a ground-typed Thunder attack.

"Well, when I was stuck in Pikachu's form, I noticed that I 'knew' and attack that Pikachu himself didn't realize that he knew. When I used it, it just came out as a punch, but I could feel the elemental energy behind it. You know which attack I'm talking about, right?"

Clemont nodded, saying,

"Yeah. Heliolisk and I just called it our basic attack... Turns out it wasn't really basic as we thought though."

Ash shrugged.

"Well, if it helps, I had originally thought it was an attack with _no_ type. But then I got to thinking about it, and when I did, I realized that having an attack with no type made no sense at all. So I focused on the energy behind it and I realized that the attack didn't have _no_ type -"

"It had them _all_." Clemont finished.

"Bingo. So then I just told Pikachu to filter what attack type went through. Watch. Hey Pikachu, use a Ghost-Typed Thundershock on that training target over there." Ash commanded his starter.

However, Pikachu couldn't.

Try as he might, Pikachu's Thundershock kept cycling through what Ash guessed were Electric, Fighting, Ground, Psychic, Poison, Dark, Steel, Normal, Water and Grass, but Pikachu just couldn't produce a Ghost-typed attack. Ash furrowed his eyebrows and went into deep thought before Clemont piped up.

"Ash, what type is Pikachu's Hidden Power?"

"Water, why?" Ash replied, confused.

"Perfect. And Pikachu knows Grass Knot, right?"

"Yeah..." Ash responded, confused as to where Clemont was going.

"Light Screen? Fling? Dig? Toxic?"

"Yes, yes, yes and yes. Can you explain your point now?" Ash implored Clemont.

"Fine. I was kinda hoping that you'd piece it together yourself, but the types that Pikachu's Thundershock was able to produce were only types of attacks that Pikachu already knows! By the way, I'd talk to one of your coordinator friends. I heard that the contest circuit has figured out a way to teach Pikachus Draining Kiss, Icicle Crash, Meteor Mash, Flying Press, and Electric Terrain. Oh, and I know of a guy in Kalos who can teach Pikachu Signal Beam -"

Ash cut Clemont off.

"That way Pikachu will be able to add Ice, Fairy, and Bug to his arsenal?"

"Bingo. By the way, do you think Pikachu would mind showing Heliolisk how to do that? I mean, he was with us in the dungeon and all, so it'd make sense if he could do it. And if he figures it out, he could tutor the rest of my Pokemon and then-"

" _Okay_! I doubt Pikachu has any problem with that, do you buddy?"

Pikachu shook his head and promptly turned around and used a Steel-typed Thunderbolt on Heliolisk before jogging into a nearby training room with Clemont's starter hot on his heels.

"...Did Pikachu really just..."

"Yup."

* * *

Almost two hours later Ash was walking out of Clemont's house with Pikachu at his side. In that time, his starter had managed to teach Clemont's Heliolisk the basics of performing an unusual-typed attack. After Heliolisk demonstrated quite a few of his own attacks, Clemont's theory remained sound; Heliolisk could only perform attacks of the type that he already knew.

When Ash realized that he was already outside, he snapped himself out of his thoughts and released his Metagross for transportation back to his island. However, like on Splash Island, Arceus had different plans and Ash suddenly found himself in the Hall of Origins once again.

 **"Ash, I need you to descend back to Earth again,"** Arceus jumped right in, **"Rayquaza's new Chosen One is going to be facing down Cyrus and Team Galactic in about..."** Arceus closed his eyes for a second, thinking. **"Two minutes. So begone! Descend to Earth and save humanity once again!"**

And with that, Ash found himself being slowly warped out of the Hall of Origins. Right as he was about to be fully teleported, however, he heard Arceus one last time.

 **"...Maybe I should've told him about Palkia...?"**

* * *

When Ash arrived, it took him a solid thirty seconds to realize that he was on a mountain. It took him another thirty to realize that he was facing the opposite direction of the action, and so he reacted accordingly - Ash turned around.

When Ash turned around, it took him a solid _three_ seconds to see the Mega Charizard (X) duking it out with the Palkia. While the Fire/Dragon type was putting up a good fight, it was obvious to Ash that it was fighting a losing battle. About fifty feet away from where the battle was happening stood a trainer, who was calling attacks out (although Ash couldn't hear him over the wind). Suddenly, however, the Palkia scored a direct hit with a Dragon Pulse and the Charizard went down.

That was when Ash stepped in.

"Electivire, Thunder Punch!"

When the electric-type burst from his Pokeball, the behemothcocked back his right fist and slammed it into Palkia's crystal, preventing it from finishing off Charizard and effectively drawing Cyrus' attention to Ash. It took about three seconds for the crime-lord to recognize the raven-haired trainer, and when he did, he started talking.

"Ketchum. I see you have finally come out of hiding, and with some new Pokemon too. However, do you really think that your Electivire can stand up to the might of the _Lord of Space_?"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, actually, but if you don't think he can, I'd be glad to switch out to a Pokemon who you think could?"

Cyrus snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot.

"And just _what_ Pokemon could you _possibly_ have that could stand up to Palkia?"

Ash frowned, deep in thought, before replying,

"Well, lets see. Electivire here might not be able to - I just caught him earlier today, so that means that none of my other new electric types could -well, bar Zekrom, Pikachu here could do so without breaking a sweat, but besides that Lugia, Diancie... Actually, lets give her some spotlight. I haven't used her in a while..."

To his credit, Cyrus actually blinked after Ash finished his tirade.

"And you expect me to believe that you have a _Di_ -"

"Moonblast!" Ash yelled, releasing Diancie from her Pokeball.

"Okay, what the _fuck_! Dodge!"

Palkia soared to it's left, narrowly dodging the sphered attack. However, in doing so it came right into the path of a Dragon Pulse from Alain's newly recovered Mega Charizard (X), which knocked Palkia back a few feet.

Cyrus scowled, grabbing four Pokeballs from his pocket and proclaiming,

"You may have outnumbered me here, but not for long! Darkrai! Mesprit! Azelf! Uxie! Come forth and do your master's bidding!"

With a flash of scarlet light, the legendaries appeared before their master, all giving off the telltale shimmer of a shiny Pokemon. Ash fronwed, and was about to summon fourth another one of his Fairies when a Moonblast was shot over Ash's head, slamming into the Darkrai. Not a second later, a Hydro Pump shot off as well, slamming into both the Uxie and Mesprit. Instantly Ash whipped his head around, the words for Pikachu to attack on the tip of his tongue, but instead of foes he was shocked to see Misty and surprisingly Zero standing next to their signature Pokemon, Starmie and Gardevoir (Mega) respectively. Not wasting any more time, Ash turned his attention back to the battle before shouting,

"Mega Charizard's trainer! Misty! You two take on the Lake Trio. Zero, you and Gardevoir take down Darkrai. I've got Palkia."

And then Ash flipped his cap around, a gesture that made Misty's eyebrows shoot up her forehead and confused the other two trainers.

"Diancie! Mega Evolve!" Ash yelled, holding up his keystone. He thought of all the good memories he had with the fairy-type, and suddenly her body erupted with the signature pink light of Mega Evolution. When it died down, Diancie shot a Power Gem at Palkia as a way to gauge her strength. Ash had never actually Mega-Evolved Diancie before, something that made him realize that he wasn't spending as much time with his Pokemon as he could be. Inwardly, he resolved to change that before shifting his attention back onto the battle. At Cyrus' command, Palkia shot a Hydro Pump at Diancie, which she was easily able to evade.

"Diamond Storm!" Ash yelled, and Diancie charged up her signature move before rocketing it towards Palkia, which the enormous Pokemon wasn't able to evade. Surprisingly - to Cyrus, anyway- Palkia seemed to take massive damage from the Rock-typed attack, something which worried Cyrus greatly.

'Just how powerful _is_ he?' Cyrus thought. Then, slowly, he grinned, an evil expression on his features.

' _He_ is not powerful, _Diancie_ is.' Then, aloud, he yelled,

"Palkia, Spacial Rend!"

Ash cocked his head, confused, wondering to himself if Cyrus knew how Fairy types worked. Right as Palkia was about to attack, however, Cyrus added two more words that changed everything.

"On Ketchum!"

* * *

Despite the fact that Mega Charizard was tired from the skirmish he had had against Palkia earlier, Alain and Misty were having a fairly easy time against the Lake Trio. Without their master to control them, the three mind-controled Pokemon really only dodged the attacks thrown their way, not using any strategy or fighting back, something that made Misty both sad and angry. She was sad because she knew that the shiny Pokemon were doing this against their will. She was royally _pissed_ at the bastard doing it.

* * *

Zero and her Mega Gardevoir were having a somewhat harder time against Darkrai, though. The pitch black Pokemon was rather fond of using Dark Void, and the attack almost always hit Gardevoir or even Zero, who was aiding her Pokemon by sending off her own attacks. Finally, though, Mega Gardevoir was able to hit Darkrai with a Moonblast while the legendary was busy dodging a Rock Wrecker that Zero had sent its way. Grinning, Zero grabbed an Ultra Ball and lobbed it at the downed Pokemon.

But before the Ultra Ball could hit the legendary, Darkrai dissolved into the shadows.

And with him dissolved any chance of Zero catching a Pitch Black Pokemon.

 **Not that anyone will care, but I have discontinued TbaM.**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**  
 **OR HANUKKAH!**  
 **OR WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU CELEBRATE!**

 **That's really all I have to say, other than this:**

 **The drain has been clogged.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**I FINALLY FIXED THE CHAPTER TITLES!**

Diancie aren't fast Pokemon. Well, they _can_ be fast, but they can't be _quick_ , and there is a huge difference between the two. A fast Pokemon can reach high speeds eventually, but a _quick_ Pokemon can reach their highest speeds fast. So even with the boost Diancie received from her Mega-Evolution -which was admittedly rather large- she could never be quick. So when the Spacial Rend that Palkia had been charging shot towards Ash, she was not able to react fast enough to position herself in front of him.

But the electric mouse Pokemon sitting on Ash's shoulder was.

With a blinding speed fueled by Pikachu's outrage at Cyrus daring to attack his trainer, Pikachu catapulted off of Ash's shoulder and into the air in front of him while producing the single largest Thunder attack that Ash had ever seen - and he had seen Thunders from the likes of Raikou and Zekrom. The attack ripped through the Spacial Rend and nailed Palkia with devastating force, knocking the legendary through the air about twenty feet. Then Pikachu, landed, cheeks sparking violently, a low growl emitting from his throat.

It was the angriest Ash had ever seen Pikachu. Without so much as a word from Ash Pikachu barreled forwards, body sparking in the telltale sign of a Volt Tackle.

"Palkia, stop it with a Dragon Claw." Cyrus commanded, but Pikachu wasn't having any part of it. Instead of being stopped by the Dragon Claw, Pikachu overpowered the attack and slammed into Palkia, knocking the legendary over the side of the mountain.

-Ash promptly launched a Master Ball over the cliff-

Unfortunately for Cyrus, the replica Red Chain that he was using was nowhere near as good as the original, and it had a specific range that it could work in. So when Pikachu knocked Palkia off the mountain, Palkia fell _just_ enough to escape that range. Needless to say, the Palkia was pissed.

 _And_ , after Misty and Alain took care of the Lake Trio who were powering the chain, the replica shattered with a distinct snap, releasing Palkia from any control that Cyrus would've had over it had it come back into the range.

Had Cyrus not tried to attack him, Ash would've let Palkia take care of the crime-lord. However, that wasn't going to be the case after Cyrus' attempt at his life. So with that in mind, Ash put his hand in front of his mouth and mumbled something quietly to Hoopa, knowing that she'd be able to hear him with Arceus' help.

Sure enough, not five seconds later a massive portal opened up above everyone's heads and out came Dialga, eyes narrowed in contempt.

 _"Oh, I've heard_ _ **all**_ _about you from my brother. Using the Lake Trio to control him and Palkia? Are you_ fucking _kidding me?"_

Dialga didn't even wait for a response from Cyrus - not that there would be one, the crime-lord was practically shaking in his boots- before he started to charge up his Roar of Time.

And then the attack dissipated.

 _"Ash, Mega Evolve me."_ Dialga requested.

Ash nervously cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, you see, now that we're back in League territory I can't Mega Evolve more than one Pokemon at a time," Ash gestured over to Diancie, "And I've already used that one."

 _"Drat. Ahem. Cyrus! I now sentence you to an eternity in the Distortion World!"_

Nothing happened.

 _"Ha. Just kidding, I can't do that. But I_ can _sentence you to an eternity in the nothingness of Time!"_

And with that, Dialga unleashed his Roar of Time.

* * *

"Hey Pikachu, I've been thinking." Ash looked at the starter that was perched on his shoulder.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked.

"So you know how we've been skipping all the major legendaries in every island?"

"Pi-ka..." Came the more reluctant reply.

"Well, I think that it is about time that we hit those up, whadya say?"

"Chu!"

"Rayquaza, Kuyrem, Yvetal, Xerneas," Ash started counting the names off on his fingers. "And Dialga... Huh." Ash said, frowning.

"I could've sworn that there were more than five, but no matter! Now, who do I choose...?"

"Kachu!"

"...No, I don't think that I'll use you."

"Ka-pi?!" His starter replied, cheeks sparking violently.

"Whoa, buddy!" Ash recovered, arms waving wildly in the air, "Its just that the only Pokemon that you really have an advantage over are Yvetal and Rayquaza; your advantage over Rayquaza if iffy and I was going to use Walrien for Yvetal."

"Ka."

* * *

"Alright," Ash said, addressing his massive amount of Pokemon, "For Dialga, I have chosen Torterra!" The crowd parted to let the massive sauropod through as he walked to Ash's side, head held high.

* * *

"For Kuyrem...!" Ash started, "I choose Torkoal!" The crowd parted around Ash's slowest fire-type, allowing him the space to leisurely meander his way to Ash, where he promptly laid down with a satisfied "Tork."

* * *

"For Rayquaza, I choose... Charizard!" This match-up was simply too good for Ash to pass up. Charizard didn't have any advantage - even his X-Mega was offset by Rayquaza, but Ash would be dammed if he didn't let Charizard try.

* * *

For Yvetal, I'm going to have to go with Walrien!" Ash called, beaming over at the Walrus Pokemon, who proceeded to...

'Is he _rolling_ towards me?'

* * *

"Xerneas! Tentacruel!" And with that all the water around the north side of Ash's Home Island was displaced as the skyscraper-tall Tentacruel emerged from the sea.

" **Cruel!** " Came the deafening response.

* * *

Freeze Island was Ash's first stop. After arriving via Metagross, Ash quickly pulled out the tool that he would be using to locate Kuyrem - a thermometer. Ash figured that he'd just walk around the island until he found somewhere that was colder than the rest of the island, so with that in mind he started his trek.

...Two hours later found Ash sitting next to a snowbank to let his legs rest. He had finally realized one big, glaring problem with his his strategy - Kuyrem was almost certainly in a cave. So that left him two options. Option one was to find Candice and see if she knew where Kuyrem was, but he doubted she did because the third of the Tao trio was probably pretty well hidden. Option two was to call in Zekrom, and see if he could feel out where Kuyrem was.

Ash being Ash, of course opted for the second option. Quickly calling Hoopa, Ash asked her to send over Zekrom. The portal pokemon quickly complied, sending over Zekrom's Ultra Ball in a flash. The portal dropped Zekrom's Ultra Ball on the ground, causing it to open and reveal the electric-type legendary in all of his glory. The member of the Tao Trio opened his maw and was bellowed a challenge to all of the puny - in Zekrom's view- ice types and Ash could practically _feel_ the eyes of every Pokemon in the surrounding area lock onto him.

'Note to self. Keep Zekrom _away_ from Charizard from now on,' Ash thought.

Unsurprisingly, most of the ice types either fled or hid after gazing upon the legendary, understanding that if the electric-type wanted to, he could knock them out without expending any effort.

However, after a few minutes of stunned silence, an earsplitting roar reverberated throughout the island, startling Ash. Zekrom's head snapped upwards from the ground where he had been glaring at a shaking Spheal (who took the opportunity to roll away) and locked onto a piece of ground about a hundred meters away.

 _"Ash, that's Kuy-"_

And then the ground exploded. Chunks of dirt and ice - even a couple of trees- went flying from where Zekrom had been staring. When the resulting cloud of dust settled, Ash saw the beast that he had come to the island seeking.

Kuyrem had appeared.

Wasting no time, Ash grabbed Torkoal's Pokeball and lobbed into the ice.

"Alright Torkoal, don't underestimate Kuyrem just because he's part ice. He's a dragon too, you know." Once he got a nod from Torkoal he was about to start the battle when Kuyrem unleashed a huge Blizzard that shot over the terrain, destroying the already broken ground even more.

Thinking quickly, Ash yelled, "Torkoal! Counter than with a Heat Wave! Follow it up with an Iron Defense!"

The fire-turtle complied, expelling a massive Heat Wave from his body before retreating into his shell which Ash could just _barely_ see took on a silvery gleam through the colliding attacks. Once the dust settled from the initial clash, Ash was shocked to see Kuyrem flying fast towards Torkoal, icy wing charged up in what looked to be a Slash attack.

"Quickly Torkoal retreat into your shell!" Ash exclaimed, astounded by the aerial speed that Kuyrem possessed. Torkoal barely managed to withdraw into his shell before Kuyrem's attack struck home, sending Torkoal a couple inches into the earth but doing fairly minor damage.

"Torkoal, he's close! Use Lava Plume!"

Kuyrem had just started charging up a Dragon Claw when all of Torkoal's spots lit up in a furious red before spewing lava into Kuyrem, which the legendary reacted to by thrusting itself backwards with a flap of its wings. After a couple of seconds however, Ash could see the telltale fire dancing across the legendary's body.

Kuyrem had been burned.

"Torkoal, on my mark use Infreno!" The turtle nodded, charging up the devastating Fire attack in his mouth but waiting for Ash's signal. Ash waited until he saw Kuyrem flinch from the burn before he screamed "Now!"

With that, Torkoal unleashed the Inferno. The attack hit Kuyrem dead-on and actually forced him to one knee. Ash could tell that Kuyrem was nearing its last legs. The legendary had burn marks just about everywhere from the two powerful fire attacks, and was visibly panting.

However, Torkoal wasn't faring much better. The remnants of the original Blizzard, the Slash attack that apparently did more damage than Ash had thought, and the exhaustion from unleashing two extremely powerful attacks had gotten to him and the turtle was near his halfway point.

'That's one thing I'll have to train them all better on - attacking without becoming tired.' Ash thought, already planning how he could do that.

Kuyrem snapped him out of his thoughts however by unleashing another massive Blizzard.

"Ah! Torkoal, retreat into your shell and use Iron Defense! You'll save up some energy and it'll be warmer in there."

Torkoal nodded, legs, head and tail retreating back into his shell before it took on a metallic gleam, protecting him from the brunt of Kuyrem's attack. True to Ash's words, when Torkoal emerged Ash could tell that Blizzard had barely done any damage to Torkoal after he hid in his shell.

"Alright, it's time to end this!" Ash proclaimed. "Use a Smokescreen on Kuyrem and follow it up with a Rapid Spin!"

Within seconds, Torkoal catapulted a ball of inky substance at Kuyrem's face, where it exploded into a smoky cloud obscuring Kuyrem's vision. Not thinking much of it, Kuyrem flapped its wings once to get rid of the cloud but was so shocked by the turtle-shell flying at his face that he didn't react fast enough, and Torkoal's Rapid Spin sent Kuyrem flying across the clearing, where he did not get up.

"Good job Torkoal. Alright Pokeball, let's GO!" Ash exclaimed, hurling the Pokeball at Kuyrem.

The ball opened and scarlet light consumed Kuyrem until suddenly... Kuyrem escaped.

"What?" Ash gasped.

 _"Do you... Really think..."_ Kuyrem stopped to catch its breath, _"That I will be defeated... THAT EASILY?!"_ Kuyrem roared, flaring its icy aura in defiance.

"That's fine, right buddy?" Ash looked down at Torkoal.

"Koal Torkoal!" His fire-type agreed.

"Alright then, use Smog!" Ash yelled.

The cloud of poisonous gas drifted over to where Kuyrem stood and wrapped around its face, poisoning it.

'Perfect,' Ash thought, 'Now not only is it burned, but poisoned as well! Let's just wait this out now.'

However...

"Torkoal, just to be _sure_... Use a Fire Spin!" Ash told his turtle Pokemon. Ash waited until the fire had consumed the legendary before chucking another Pokeball - this time an Ultra Ball- at the downed beast.

It shook once...

Twice...

Three times...

And then exploded in a shower of metal bits, unleashing Kuyrem back into the fray once more, where the legendary promptly used Blizzard.

"Dang it! Torkoal, Heat Wave to counter!" Ash yelled. Torkoal sent out a Heat Wave which was immediately countered by Kuyrem's Blizzard.

Suddenly Kuyrem took to the skies and fired an Ice Beam.

"Dodge!" Ash commanded, but Torkoal was too slow and the Ice Beam smashed into him.

"No! Torkoal, use Lava Plume!" Ash shouted.

Torkoal's Lava Plume hit Kuyrem as he was descending, coating the already burned and poisoned legendary in fire once more.

That _had_ to be the end of it.

"Master Ball, for the last time, GO!" Ash exclaimed, not wanting to screw around any longer. He did, after all, have other legendaries to visit and - hopefully- capture today, after all.

Ash looked back at the Master Ball just as it dinged, signifying the addition of another legendary to Ash's team. He walked over, Torkoal at his side, and picked up the Master Ball that now housed Kuyrem.

Ash let out a sigh of relief, sweaty hands holding up the Master Ball that now held Kuyrem in front of his face. Slowly, an earsplitting grin grew on Ash's features.

"Pikachu?"

"Pi?"

"I caught... A Kuyrem!" Ash yelled, left arm thrusting the Master Ball high into the air while Pikachu flashed his peace sign from his right shoulder.

"Pi-kachu!"

"Tor-koal!" His triumphant battler added.

The grin on his starter's face was the last thing Ash saw before getting warped off the island courtesy of Hoopa.

...Well, that and Candice flying towards him on her Articuno.

 **"GOD DAMN IT, AS-"**

* * *

"Pikachu, how the hell does Darkness Island have a moon that big? Actually, scratch that, how is there a moon at _all_?! Its _noon_!"

Pikachu just shook his head, shrugging.

Ash followed suit, shaking his head to snap him out of it.

"Whatever, that's irrelevant. What matters is finding Yvetal and capturing him." Ash said, pumping his fist in determination.

'Darn, though. I don't have Xerneas yet to track Yvetal down. He could be anywhere in this Arceus-forsaken darkness!' Ash thought.

And then it hit him and he felt stupid for not thinking of it before.

'But I have two Zygarde. Dang it Ash!' Ash mentally berated himself. 'You've gotta remember these things!'

With that in mind, Ash called again for Hoopa to send his two legendaries over. She complied, dropping the two Pokeballs onto the ground where they snapped open with a burst of scarlet light. The two serpentine legendaries glanced at each other then at Ash, tilting their heads sideways in a pose that Ash assumed was inquiry.

Taking that as his cue, Ash explained.

"Welp, basically all you guys need to do is locate Yvetal. You guys _can_ sense him, right?" Ash asked, cocking an eyebrow at the duo before he received two firm nods in reply.

"Great. After you find him, we'll let Walrien do the rest, eh?"

* * *

It took the two Order Legendaries exactly twelve minutes to find the darkest member of their trio, which was exactly ten minutes longer than it took Zekrom, but Ash didn't blame them. After all, the island was shrouded in perpetual darkness and fog, save for the rocky hilltops where you could see the massive moon in all of its glory.

Which really was weird, considering how they were in a different dimension and all, one that had only one planet.

...Actually, how were there stars either?

A cry of challenge from one of the nearby hilltops snapped Ash out of his musing. Recognizing the voice as his shiny Zygarde's, Ash sprinted up to the top of the hill where he found his shiny Zygarde facing down Yvetal. Quickly recalling both him and his other Zygarde who was standing a couple meters to the side, Ash ignored the mad squawk from Yvetal and released Walrien. Wasting no time, Ash decided to start the battle.

"Hail! Let's do this!"

Walrien roared before launching a sphere of ice into the air high above the battlefield. Nothing happened for a couple seconds, but then fairly large chunks of ice fell from the sky, freezing the rock where they landed. Quite a few hit Yvetal with mild yet super-effective force where the dark-type had not yet ascended to the skies. Ash saw this and decided to press further.

"Toxic! Lets set Yvetal a time limit!"

Walrien clapped his front flippers together before spitting a glob of poison from his mouth. The poison sailed though the air before it hit Yvetal, doing no damage but badly poisoning the legendary. This finally shocked Yvetal into taking off. Yvetal shot into the air, wincing slightly as the poison coursed through his veins, and let out an enraged cry before coating his claws in blue energy before charging downwards at Walrien.

Thinking quickly, Ash yelled for a Double Team, and Walrien complied, making multiple copies of himself around the icy hilltop and effectively confusing Yvetal enough to crash talon-first into the hill, dislodging both rock and ice around him, The legendary let out another squawk as both the Toxic and the Hail hit, adding to the damage he received from crashing into the rock and ice - both of which had super-effective properties against the now-enraged legendary.

Squawking, Yvetal unleashed a massive Dark Aura-enhanced Dark Pulse in a circle from his body, hitting Walrien and dispersing all of the Double Teams. Now that he had a target, Yvetal launched himself forward, body glowing with the power of a Dragon Rush, and slammed into Walrien before Ash could say anything, dealing heavy damage on the bulky ice-type.

Ash frowned, seeing as his strategy of simply stalling until Toxic and Hail forced Yvetal into unconsciousness wasn't going to work since the bird could deal that much damage in just two hits.

Ash's frown grew deeper as he tried to formulate a plan, but nothing came to him.

"Walrien! Slide left!" Ash called, seeing Yvetal try to charge Walrien again with a Giga Impact. The Ice Break Pokemon complied, using the ice to his advantage as he slid left and out of the reach of Yvetal's devastating attack, forcing the legendary to sail past him. When the legendary regained his composure, he let out an earsplitting cry.

And then he decided to destroy Walrien's maneuverability. The legendary shot a watery orb into the sky, which ascended about twenty meters before exploding. Suddenly, the hail became rain as the Rain Dance was activated. Quickly, the ice that granted Walrien the ability to move and dodge became slush, something that the Ice Break Pokemon greeted with a low moan of discontent. Walrien gave an unhappy slap of his front flippers before launching another Hail, but Yvetal would have nothing to do with that.

While the icy sphere was still ascending, Yvetal launched a Focus Blast at it. It connected right before the sphere exploded, sending the ice inside flying every which way.

Fortunately, some of the ice hit Yvetal, damaging the legendary who was already on his last legs even more, pushing him that much closer to defeat.

 _Un_ fortunately, however, Yvetal's tactic worked - it was still raining.

And then, finally, something clicked inside of Ash's mind.

He had a plan.

"Walrien! Earthquake!"

Walrien complied, slapping his flippers against the ground, sending shock waves through the earth. The attack broke up the ground, forcing chunks of the ground to stick up at odd angles. This created jagged spires of semi-icy rock that stood at twice the height of Walrien. If Yvetal wanted to attack, he would have to get through those first.

However, it seemed that the legendary was going to try. Yvetal's wings became shrouded in darkness before he shot through the air down at Walrien.

 _Oblivion Wing._

This was it. The final clash in an epic battle. Ash knew it, Walrien knew it, and Yvetal knew it as well, so everyone was going to put their all into this final attack.

"Walrien! Hyper Beam!"

Just as Walrien shot off the devastating attack, Yvetal crashed into Walrien and the icy rocks surrounding him. The collision created one of the biggest explosions Ash had ever seen, and it forced him to grip both Pikachu and his hat against his body and turn away from the light and dust.

When everything finally settled, it took Ash a couple minutes for his eyes to adjust to the total darkness. However, once they finally did, Ash saw something that almost made his heart burst from his chest in pride.

For standing over Yvetal, front flippers resting on the body of the legendary, was a panting, nearly-unconscious Walrien. The ice-type gave one happy, triumphant bark once he locked eyes with his trainer before being recalled, Ash murmuring praise to his Pokeball.

Turning to Yvetal, Ash wasted no time in lobbing a Master Ball at the downed legendary, hitting him in the flank and capturing him.

"Damn Ash." A voice came from behind him. Ash whipped around to see Mark riding his Mandibuzz a couple meters over the edge of the hill. The dark-specialist's eyes were wide as he surveyed the damage that the battle caused to the hilltop. Turning around, Ash scratched his head sheepishly. It was still pouring rain, rock and ice were sticking up in large quantities all across the hilltop, there were craters everywhere, and everything looked to be on the verge of collapse.

"Are all of your battles this intense?" Mark asked, genuinely wondering if he needed to build a support structure for the entire island.

"Well, not all of them are this crazy, but I've had my fair share of insane battles." Ash replied, "How much of the battle did you see?"

"All of it," Mark easily responded, "I saw your Zygarde facing down Yvetal - they both look amazing, by the way- and I was about to intervene when I saw you recall them. At that point I hopped on Mandibuzz here and flew a fair bit off so I could watch the inevitable bout. And I think I speak for the both of us when I say that I was awestruck." He patted Mandibuzz on her head.

"Dibuzz!" His avian agreed.

"In case you're wondering, my house is right over there," Mark said, pointing to a cozy-looking manor on a higher hill nearby, "So that's how I saw them in the first place."

* * *

"Hey Dialga, before we commence the battle that has the very real chance of decimating this entire island, I just have one question that's been nagging at me for the last couple days." Ash said, looking up from where Torterra was standing over to the massive Dragon/Steel-type.

 _"Oh?"_ Dialga responded, rising from the battle stance that he had taken. _"Fire away."_

"Thanks. Well, you know how we battled Cyrus the other day?" Ash asked.

 _"Yes,"_ Dialga replied, somewhat guessing where Ash was going.

"Didn't he succeed in getting to an alternate universe?"

 _"Affirmative"_ Dialga smiled, now knowing exactly what Ash was going to ask.

"So how did he get back?"

 _"Ha!"_ Dialga laughed, _"Palkia and I weren't going to let that crap fly! We dragged his ass back not ten minutes after he left! Dumped him in Orre and let him find his way back."_

Ash recoiled, trying to process that. Eventually he shook his head and the fire returned to his eyes.

"Huh, that's about the last thing I expected. Nevertheless, let's start this show! Torterra! Earthquake!" Rearing up, the Sinnoh starter slammed his front legs on the ground, sending a shock wave towards Dialga that the legendary deftly jumped over.

Still midair, Dialga unleashed a Flash Cannon, hitting Torterra in the flank and dealing minor damage.

"Earth Power!"

When Dialga landed, he was greeted by the earth opening up and spewing lava in his face. With a groan, the heavy steel-type shook the attack off, powering up an Ice Beam before firing it at Torterra.

"Protect!" Ash yelled. Barely a second after he yelled that, Torterra was covered by a blue dome that nullified the effects of the Ice Beam.

"Lets change the environment to our advantage! Use Sandstorm!" Ash was fully aware that the move wouldn't damage the partial steel-type, but Ash was willing to bet that Dialga didn't train for this exact condition like Torterra did. So while Dialga would be blind, Torterra could, and _would_ , locate Dialga and attack.

"Torterra, knock him around with Earthquake!" Like he did to start the battle, Torterra slammed his front legs into the ground, breaking up the earth around Dialga and dealing super-effective damage.

However, Dialga had a few tricks of his own. Immediately after the Earthquake, a Blizzard came flying through the sandstorm, nailing Torterra. Torterra groaned in pain yet was still able to dodge the subsequent Ice Beam that Dialga fired from inside the storm.

"Torterra," Ash called, "Find him and use another Earth Power!"

Torterra nodded, then spent a couple of seconds peering through the sandstorm until his eyes locked onto something that Ash couldn't see. Without warning, Torterra unleashed the Earth Power into the storm. Ash wasn't sure if it had connected until a few moments later when he heard Dialga roar and a Flamethrower came sailing from the storm.

"Light Screen!" Torterra reacted quickly, creating a pink screen that blocked the Flamethrower.

And then the Sandstorm dissipated and Dialga locked eyes with Torterra.

For a few minutes, no one moved, so Ash took the time to assess Dialga. Ash could see the dents in the armor where Torterra's Earthquakes and Earth Powers hit, and he could tell that Dialga was nearing his limit.

Finally, Dialga charged, whole body glowing with the blue and red energy of Outrage.

This was the last clash between the two titans, so Ash decided to treat it accordingly.

"Superpower!"

The resulting explosion brought down the entire cavern that the battlefield was in.

...Or, at least it would've, if not for the fast reactions of the many Steel-Type spectators who had been surprisingly quiet up until this point. Flashing them a quick thumbs-up and a smile as they worked on repairing the cavern, Ash turned his attention to the settling dust.

Torterra and Dialga were laying side-by-side, both unconscious.

The sight was enough to make the steel-types stop working for a second and gasp.

However, the gasp got louder very quickly when everyone saw Torterra rise upon shaking legs and bellow his name in triumph.

"TORTERRA!"

Ash smiled, lobbing a Master Ball at Dialga, who wasn't going to get back up any time soon. When the ball returned to his hand, he took one look at Pikachu before jumping into his victory pose and yelling,

"Alright! I caught... Dialga!"

"Pi-kachu!"

"Terra!"

It was weird, Ash decided; having the Pokemon he considered to be a mentor for his time on the islands in the palm of his hand.

* * *

"Pikachu, do you have any idea where we could find Rayquaza?" Ash asked his starter. The duo was walking around Draco Island, where they had been searching - with no avail- for Rayquaza for the last hour or so. Finally, though, it seemed that luck was on Ash's side.

"Alain! How are you?"

The dragon specialist looked over from where he was training his Charizard and smiled.

"I'm doing great, actually! I caught a Sceptile, Garchomp, Altaria, and a Salamence! I'm searching for the Eon duo now. Eventually, I'll go after Rayquaza, but not until I'm much stronger..." Alain trailed off, a wistful look on his features as he stared off into the sky.

Suddenly, he snapped back into focus.

"But we'll get there, right Charizard?"

"Char-izard!" His starter agreed.

However, Ash hadn't heard the last bit, as he zoned out at the mention of Rayquaza.

'Does he know? ...What am I thinking, of _course_ he does! It's his island.'

"Hey Alain," Ash started, "You mentioned Rayquaza. Does that mean that you know where I can find him?"

"Well, I can't say for _certain_ ," Alain said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "But I _think_ that he is in that tower of clouds up there."

Sure enough, when Ash looked up, he had to do a double take.

"Is that hovering there _all_ the time?" Ash asked.

"No," Alain replied, looking with Ash at the massive pillar of clouds above the island, "It comes and goes at random." Then Alain seemed to think of something.

"-Wait. Does that mean that you're _challenging_ Rayquaza?" He asked, turning to look at Ash, but the raven-haired trainer was already gone, now nothing but a speck in the sky for Alain.

"Charizard! Let's follow him. This is _not_ something that I want to miss."

* * *

As soon as he could, Ash had released Latios and shot like a bullet into the sky towards the sky tower. He decided to skip the entrance near the bottom, instead opting to fly on Latios to the very top of the pillar.

Well, Alain's little hunch was correct.

On a side note, Rayquaza was _huge_.

Quickly dropping down from Latios just a couple feet away from Rayquaza, Ash respectfully bowed before rising to address the lord of the skies.

"Rayquaza, as you probably know, I am here to challenge you. Just a one-on-one battle for the right to capture you. Is this acceptable?"

To Ash's great surprise, Rayquaza _chuckled_.

 _"Ash, there is no need to be formal with me. Yes, that sounds great, but do you really think just_ one _of your Pokemon can best me?"_ Rayquaza challenged.

"Well, if he doesn't it'll be one hell of a fight. Charizard, I choose you!"

 **CLIFFHANGER! Sorta... Alright not really, but hey, that seemed like a good place to end it.**

 **Anyways, thanks a** _ **bazillion**_ **to LaprasIzLife for writing the brilliant battle between Kuyrem and Torkoal! I appreciate you.**

 **Charizard and the Giant Tentacruel will both appear in the next chapter. Don't worry :)**

 **And now... REVIEWS (since I haven't done that in a while)**

 **thedoctorjohnny: And a happy new year! Also, do you realize that no one can type your true username into a chapter? The period fucks everything up :)**

 **kasp7755:** _ **Thanks.**_ **Happy New Year to you too. May you not fail** _ **too**_ **many of your resolutions :)**

 **The Creator: Holy shit that was a drawn-out battle between two stick figures. Anyway, its all good. And yes, yes I** _ **have**_ **been playing me some Super Mystery Dungeon, though, in my humble opinion, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Red Rescue Team is the best damn game that has ever graced this earth with its presence. :) And as for Zero showing up again, no problem. I'm going to** _ **try**_ **to give the islanders more screen time, though I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do that before the Hoopa League is actually created back near Kanto.**

 **Just as a side note, do you guys realize how damn frustrating it is to spellcheck a Pokemon fanfic? The Pokemon names just fuck everything up man.**

 **And with a kiss, I die!**

 **Or something like that.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: It's Go Time, Part 1

The legendary being and the almost-legendary being clashed again and again in flashy displays of their power. Explosions of fire, draconic energy and other elements lit up the surrounding area, making it impossible for Ash to tell who was winning. The two supreme beings had been going at it for well over an hour now, and neither showed any signs of fatigue. It was kind of funny, Ash decided, how quickly the two had started fighting high above the already high Sky Pillar.

-Flashback-

"Ash, there is no need to be formal with me. Yes, that sounds great, but do you really think that just one of your Pokemon can best me?" _Rayquaza challenged._

 _"Well, if he doesn't... It'll be one hell of a fight. Charizard, I choose you!"_

 _With an almighty roar, Ash's fire-flying type emerged from the confines of his Pokeball. Almost instantly afterwards, Charizard locked eyes with Rayquaza and surged forwards at the lord of the skies._

 _Ash could've sworn that he saw Rayquaza flinch._

-Flashback End-

Ash turned his attention back towards the battle when he saw Charizard unleash a massive Fire Blast point blank into Rayquaza's side. The unexpected attack - if Rayquaza's reaction to it was any indication- knocked the humoungus legendary back a few meters before he recovered and used an attack that Ash didn't recgonize. Rayquaza's body glowed with the telltale blue of a Dragon-type attack before he shot even higher into the sky- which was saying something considering how high the duo already was.

Once Rayquaza reached the pinnacle of his height, the dragon-type came crashing down at Charizard with the force of a meteor, slamming the fire-flying type downwards towards Ash. Luckily, though, Rayquaza paused after using the attack, giving Charizard a chance to recover.

But then Rayquaza Mega-Evolved.

The sky lit up with pink energy as Rayquaza shifted forme, becoming even _more_ powerful than he already was before the light died down and Mega Rayquaza was revealed in all of its glory.

To his credit, Charizard didn't flinch.

No, Ash's power-hungry starter simply shot a signifigant glance at Ash before nodding at the stone secured to his right arm. Instantly picking up on what he wanted, Ash grinned before raising his left arm into the sky and slapping his Key Stone.

"Charizard! _MEGA-EVOLVE!_ " Ash bellowed.

And Mega-Evolve he did. A pink shell of energy coated Charizard before he burst through it, revealing his black X form to Rayquaza. Capitalizing on the boost he recieved from the shift, Charizard shot forwards at Rayquaza while charging a Tough Claws-boosted Dragon Claw.

Charizard's attack connected, ripping into Rayquaza's flank with deadly force and sending the serpentine pokemon sailing through the air. Then, without any order from Ash, Charizard burst towards Rayquaza, body coated in a Dragon Rush.

* * *

The battle raged for another hour after that before Charizard finally got lucky with a Dragon Rush/Flare Blitz combination, hitting Rayquaza straight in the face and knocking him _through_ Sky Pillar and ten meters into the ground way below it. Even then, Rayquaza had managed to fire off one last Draco Meteor before falling into unconsiousness.

Now, however, Ash pocketed the Ultra Ball that housed his newest capture and turned his attention to the battle at hand - his giant Tentacruel and Xerneas. The fairy-type was trying its darndest to keep up with the collosal squid, but Tentacruel was just too durable for it to weaken.

Ash snapped himself out of his thoughts just in time to see Xerneas be squished by two tonnes of tentacle.

Ash had the decency to wince before he dug a fresh Ultra Ball out of his sack.

* * *

Earth Island -named for the ground, not the planet- was really... _dry_ , Ash decided.

Pikachu had opted to stay behind for this one (smart mouse) and as such was probably relaxing in the lush grass back at his home island whilst snickering at Ash.

Oh, and did he mention that it was _hot_ here?

Regardless, though, he had Pokemon to capture, and he'd be damned if a little heat stopped him.

The first Pokemon he saw was a Sandslash. The ground-type was basking in the sun, clearly resting, when its ears perked up. Without any further warning, the Sandslash shot up from the ground and entered a defensive position. Ash smiled - this would be fun.

"Alright then!" Ash called, "Leafeon, I choose you!" Without wasting any time, he added,

"Grassy Terrain!"

Nodding, Leafeon tapped one of her front paws to the ground. For a second, nothing happened, but then grass started growning all over where the two were battling. Soon after, vines sprouted from the grass and a _tree_ of all things popped up in the middle, casting the whole battlefield in a nice shadow.

Sandslash promptly dug.

Ash and Leafeon waited, tense, for a few moments before Leafeon caught a movement to her right and sprang forwards to evade the Sandslash that had just emerged, claws coated in fire. However, Leafeon was already yards away with an Energy Ball powered in her mouth.

Quickly, Leafeon released the Energy Ball and it smashed into Sandslash, knocking him into the lone tree. Capitalizing on that, Leafeon darted over, tail glowing in a Leaf Blade, and smashed Sandslash into oblivion. One Pokeball later and Ash had himself a Sandslash.

* * *

It took Ash three hours after that to hunt down and capture a Golurk, Camerupt, Landorus and a Claydol before he realized that it had gotten hotter.

Way, _way_ hotter.

And it didn't take long for Ash to realize the cause behind the heat either - ten feet to his left the ground disappeared into a giant lava lake. The strangest part, however, was the Groudon sitting in the middle, minding its own business as a couple of Magmar sat on the edge and splashed each other with the magma.

Finally, Groudon turned his head down towards Ash, gave a start, and promptly reverted to its Primal Form. Ash smiled - he had been hoping that Groudon was holding onto a Red Orb.

Plus, he had brought the perfect Pokemon for this.

"Alright!" He yelled, bringing his arm behind his head, "Kyogre, I choose you!"

The lord of the seas emerged from his Pokeball, reverted to his Primal form, and started a rainstorm that lasted a whole ten seconds before all parties were warped off of the island.

* * *

 _"Ash, what were you_ thinking?! _"_ Arceus asked as the god and trainer watched the battle below them. Arceus had teleported him, Groudon, and Kyorge into a private battlefield in the Hall of Orgins for "damage control," as Arceus put it.

Ash raised his hands indignantly.

"Well, I couldn't exactly release Sharpedo into a _lava lake,_ and that was my original plan, so I had to improvise!"

 _"Your way of improvising was to have the lord of the seas fight the lord of the earth on an island? With PEOPLE AND POKEMON?!"_

"Well if you put it like that..."

 _"Whatever. Just go capture Groudon and be done with it. And please try to refrain from doing something that stupid on Flame Island, please._

* * *

'Ha... Jokes on him - I didn't even _go_ to Flame Island!' Ash thought as he walked through the lush forest of Insect Island. So far he had battled and captured an Accelgor, Pinsir, Forretress, Ninjask, Shedninja and a Yanmega and was looking for a Genesect. Voila, the residental Hoopa-Leaguer, had been suprisingly helpful in his quest to find said legendary, even going so far as to giving him a map of the island that she had drawn a big red "X" on, on the spot that she thought Genesect would be.

Sure enough, when he got close to the X's position, he could see the ruins of a lab poking through the trees. Encouraged, he broke into a jog towards the building, startling Pikachu, who had decided to return to Ash's shoulder for this island.

When Ash walked inside, he was greeted by one large room and a large, purple legendary.

 _"CHOSEN ONE SPOTTED. INITIATING . POTENTIAL STRATIGIES ANALYLIZED. COUNTERS DOWNLOADED. HYDRO DRIVE ACTIVATED."_ Genesect intoned, crouching down into a battle position, the Chill Drive that was currently on his back changing color to a deep blue as it moved.

Well, Genesect wasn't wasting any time then.

"Okay then! Lets start! Blaziken, I choose you!"

With a roar and a flame-coated kick, Blaziken emerged from his Pokeball. With a flourish, Ash pointed at Genesect.

"Flamethrower!"

* * *

"PAIN RECEPTORS AT MAXIMUM. SHUTDOWN IMINENT. ASH IS SO COOL" Ash mocked, Pikachu almost falling off of his shoulder in laughter.

"Oh, how could I forget: 'COUNTER-COUNTER STRATIGIES DOWNLOADED." At this, Pikachu actually _did_ fall off of his shoulder in laughter, narrowly missing a heated rock. Before he could even touch the ground, though, Ash scooped him up.

"Woah! Watch it, Pikachu. Don't wanna get burned! We'd need a HYDRO DRIVE for that!" Ash finished, breaking into laughter at the end. Indeed, Genesect had practically narrated the whole battle in his computerized, monotone voice, all the while firing off attacks from his back-cannon. Ash had found that to be the funniest thing ever, and Pikachu seemed to be of a similar mindset.

Now though, the duo was walking through one of the many caves on Flame Island, six new Pokeballs on his belt. They belonged to his new Ninetales, Arcanine, Magmortar, Delphox, Pyroar, and Flareon. He was walking though the cave on a tip that he got from Flannery - apparently she had seen a Victini fly into this cave alongside a Moltres. He wasn't sure if he wanted to challenge two of them at the same time but, hey, he'd deal with it.

Sounded promising, at least.

Soon enough, Flannery's claims were proven to be true when Ash entered a cavern and saw a rather suprised Moltres.

 _"Chosen One! Haven't you already done two islands?"_

Ash nodded.

 _"Then why are you here? I thought you kept it to one per trip!"_

Ash shrugged. "I don't know... I just felt like getting stuff done today so here I am. Anyways, is Victini here? We could do a double battle."

In response, Victini flew out from behind Moltres and struck a pose.

"Perfect. Zapdos, Articuno, I choose you!"

The two Ultra Balls snapped open to reveal Moltres' counterparts in all their glory.

"Zapdos, Thunderbolt Moltres! Articuno, Sky Attack Victini!"

With a flash of lightning and a white glow, the four legendaries were off.

When Ash was teleported up to the Hall of Origins again, he had expected it to be about him releasing Articuno and Zapdos to fight Moltres and... Well, mainly Moltres. Victini hadn't put up much of a fight.

However, Arceus had turned a blind eye (or so it seemed) on Ash's blunder, and had actually called him up here for a completely different reason - the Leagues. Indeed, it was that time of the year on Earth, when the best trainers clashed against one another in six tournaments.

Knowing that, Ash was able to figure out what Arceus wanted without him even saying a word.

 _"Ash, I have called you here to-"_

"Participate in a league along with a couple other islanders, probably to promote the Hoopa League?" Ash asked, eyebrow raised.

Arceus snorted indignantly and mumbled something about _'gods these days are never able to complete their sentences'_ before he nodded his head.

 _"Yes, actually. So, do you have any inkling of who you want to take on this little trip?"_

Ash pondered a moment before smiling.

"Yeah. I'm taking the Indigo League, obviously, but for the rest..."

Brock would tackle the Jhoto League.

Hoenn would be systematically ripped apart by Zero.

Clemont could decimate Sinnoh's tournament.

As for Unova, Cilian would be the representative.

And for Kalos... Well, Ash thought it would be funny to see the Kalos League lose to one Pokemon. So, Alain it was.

With that all decided, Ash found himself falling through a portal courtesy of a snickering Hoopa.

* * *

"Man, Pi, it's been a long time since we've been here, hasn't it?" Ash asked his starter.

"Kachu," His starter absently replied, too busy reliving memories to fully register what Ash said.

That was fine, though, because Ash was in the same state. Silently, Ash reached into his bag and pulled out seven Pokeballs, taking the time to look at each one individually.

Bulbasaur, now Venusaur, the grass-type that enforced peace with an iron fist... er, vine.

Charizard, the reason he lost the confrence, not that he held it against the mighty fire-flying type.

Squirtle, now Blastoise, who spent more time on pranks than battling.

Pidgeotto, now a fierce Pidgeot, who was probably Ash's most conpetitive battler (bar Charizard, when he actually _tried_ ) at the time.

Kingler, who evolved in the first round to clinch the win against perhaps the weirdest opponent Ash has ever faced in a confrence.

All thirty Tauros, who have since grown to be some of Ash's most versitile Pokemon, wielding a wide varrey of elemental attacks.

Muk, who loved hugs yet didn't understand that he was made of _sludge_.

And Pikachu. His starter, his most faithful battler, his constant. Even before semi-evolving, Pikachu had defeated a Regice and a Latios for him and had recovered from astounding handicaps each time he entered a new region.

Those eight had taken on the Indigo Conference once and come up defeated. But not this time.

* * *

Registration was, like usual, a slow and tedious event. And _apparently,_ news had spread of his disappearance and trainers and Nurse Joy alike were bombarding him with questions about where he'd been.

Oh, and he couldn't ignore them, either, because the conference was basically a publicity stunt for the Hoopa League, something he referenced many times in his answers to the many questions he was posed.

Finally, though, he managed to escape from the crowds and into the woods where he set up a tent, taking time to make sure that it was luxurious and Pokemon-friendly since he'd be spending most of his time here. After all, it wasn't like he'd be training...

And so he took the time he had before the opening ceremony to think.

At the end of Ash's two-hour thinking period, he had a plan. He would use one legendary - but he was unsure exactly _who_ \- in the Semifinal round. In the rounds before that, he would randomly select one Pokemon to battle for him. He'd keep backups, of course, but he doubted that he'd need them.

XX

The opening ceremony was nothing short of awesome. Ash had almost forgotten the feeling of the blood rushing through his veins that always occured when he stood in the massive stadium, surrounded by people.

People that came to see _him._

...Well, not him _specifically,_ but he was competing, and people were here watching. That was close enough for him. He drowned out Goodsho's words in favor of simply taking in the whole athmosphere. His eyes drifted in the direction of the stadiums that the preliminaries would be held in. Then they drifted over to the seats that Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, and his mom occupied on his first go-around.

...

Wait.

Not only was he back on Earth, he was _in Kanto_.

With _Professor Oak._

And his _mom_!

That one realization triggered a whole new round of thinking for Ash, one that kept him occupied for the entire rest of the ceremony.

* * *

After the ceremony, Ash was the first one out of the stadium. He sprinted through the roads towards the outer limits of Indigo Plateau while digging around in his bag for a Pokeball. Once he found it, he released the Pokemon inside, paying no attention to the masses of people that witnessed him release a Latios in the middle of a street.

"Latios, get us to Pallet Town!"

And he was off without another word.

* * *

Latios streaked though the sky towards Ash's hometown as said trainer berated himself mentally.

 _Man, how come I didn't think of mom! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Ash was jarred from his thoughts when Latios flipped upside-down, forcing him to react or fall off (not that it was a _danger,_ what with Latios' psychic powers, but still).

 _"Do I have your attention now?"_ Latios smirked.

Yes, he most certainly did.

 _"Good, because we're over Pallet Town."_ Latios trailed off for a second before continuing, _"Ash, you've been here for a total of five hours. Three of those you spent getting ready for the League, and the other two you spent at the Opening Ceremony. Don't fell stupid because you didn't remember your mom."_

Ash nodded. The mind-reader couldn't _see_ the gesture, but he felt it, and was satisfied.

With that, Latios came to an abrupt halt before slowly descending in front of Ash's house. He didn't question how the legendary knew which one was his, though, considering he was a mind-reader.

 _"I do not read minds!"_ Latios indignantly shouted. Ash rolled his eyes before sending a playful slap at Latio's flank.

When they touched down, Ash wasted no time in recalling his legendary - after he thanked him, of course- and walking up the front porch of his house. He rung the doorbell and waited.

"Who is it?" His mom's voice rang out from inside. In response, Ash just knocked.

"Who is it?" His mom repeated, a bit louder than before.

Ash just knocked louder.

"I'm coming! Just give me a minute!" Ash waited about ten seconds before the door flew open.

"Alright, I'm here. Now what d-" It took a moment, but when Delia Ketchum realized just who was at the door, she flew at him, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey mom," Ash said over her shoulder. After a minute, Delia broke off and pulled away, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"I've missed you," she said, "this is the longest time you've been away from me, you know."

He realized with a start that yes, it _had_ been the longest he had ever been apart from his mom. He had never come home after the Kalos League like he had planned, and had been gone another year after that. That made _two years_ that he hadn't seen his mom. Suddenly, Ash felt a lot more guilty about not visiting the last time he had been planetside.

However, that guily was slightly lessened when his mom led him into the living room by the hand. She sat him down on one of the couches and then immediately sat down across from him.

"So tell me about this mysterious challenge that Arcues and Hoopa presented you"

* * *

Ash spent a total of three hours with his mom before heading over to Professor Oaks with the promise that he would pick her up and take her back to the League. After all, he had Pokemon large enough to take three people, and he didn't really care if the world knew he had a Zekrom.

After all, he was strong enough to defend it, and already Lysandre and Cyrus knew that.

When he finally got to the top of Professor Oak's staircase - seriously, why did he need that many steps- he knocked on the door and patiently waited. Almost instantly, he heard shuffling from behind the door. When the door opened, he expected to come face-to-face with the professor.

However, the startled face of Gary Oak greeted him instead. His once-rival didn't even agknowledge him as he turned around and shouted into the lab.

"Hey Gramps, we have a visitor!"

With that, his rival finally adressed him.

"Damn, Ash, you've grown. I can see it - you've become strong." With that, Gary led him into the parlor where Professor Oak was hunched over some papers on a table. Gary let out an exasperated sigh before saying,

"Gramps, usually when someone says 'we have a visitor,' you come to the door."

At that, Professor Oak looked up, but whatever he had to say was cut off by him noticing Ash.

After a moment, though, he started talking.

"Ash? Is that you?"

Ash smiled and nodded. However, instead of standing up and smiling like he expected, Professor Oak suddenly gained a determined expression.

"Perfect. Now, would you mind explaining some of your recent captures to me? Say... Oh, I don't know... _RAYQUAZA?! DIALGA?! MOLTRES?! YOU HAVE TO LET ME EXAMINE THEM!"_ Professor Oak actually _shouted_ , gripping Ash's hands.

So Ash's captures _had_ been showing up on his trainer's profile. He'd been wondering about that.

Ash could understand his exitement, though; it was every Professor's dream to be able to study a legendary Pokemon.

Ash chuckled before reaching into his bag and releasing Victini.

The two Oaks nearly fainted in shock.

* * *

So, an hour later - and another promise, this time to let the Oak's study his vast array of legendary Pokemon- Ash, Delia, Gary, and Professor Oak were taking off. To the Oaks' joy, Ash had realeased Latias, Latios, Zekrom, and Zapdos for transportation. Ash was on Zekrom, his mom was on Latias - who had taken an instant shine to her- Gary was on Zapdos and his grandfather was on Latias.

Ash smirked. They'd be making one hell of an enterance back at Indigo Plateau.

When they touched down at Indigo Plateau, Ash and co were immediately swarmed by people. Apparently word about the 'trainer with a Latios' had gotten around fast, and it hadn't taken fans long to match the mysterious trainer with Ash considering the iconic hat and Pikachu on his shoulder.

Again, Ash ignored the stares and swiftly recalled his legendaries before making his way to the Pokemon Center. After all, he had to find out who he was going to battle sometime the next day.

* * *

Later that night, Ash sat in his tent, thinking about what he had learned during his trip to the Pokemon center. One, he was facing a trainer by the name of Sinon King, who apparently was a first year trainer. Ash almost felt sorry for the kid. And two, a _lot_ of people were expecting him to use a legendary. Well, they'd go home disappointed. He had already determined who he was going to use in the first round - he stuck his hand into a backpack filled with his Pokeballs and grabbed one, and that was the Pokemon he was using.

Also, he was battling on the grass field, which was basically the neutral field. Oh, and his battle was too damn early. Eight o'clock was - in Ash's mind- an ungodly hour.

The next morning came quickly and Ash fell victim to the first Thunderbolt he had recieved in a while, after all, he hadn't had any reason to wake up early in the islands.

Rolling over, Ash checked his clock: Seven fifteen. So he got up, ate a protein bar, and grabbed his two Pokeballs. He knew that he'd only have to use the first one, but _juuuust_ in case, he brought his Staraptor along for backup. He didn't bother with a third. Once Ash had completed his morning ritual, he poked his head into his mother's tent - which he had pitched the night before along with one for Gary and one for Professor Oak- and gently woke her up.

Half an hour later saw Ash at the check-in counter for his match where the raven-haried trainer was dodging a ton of questions both from the receptionist and some reporters about his legendaries. Yes, he told them, he would answer questions, but as for now he had a battle and he would appreciate it if everyone left him in peace.

A couple minutes later found Ash walking into the grass arena, Pokeball in hand. He waited in his locker room patiently with Pikachu on his shoulder. He sat on the bench making small talk with his starter while waiting for the announcement that would start his conquer of the Indigo League.

Soon, it came.

 _Would trainer Ash Ketchum please report to the field._

Ash smiled and adjusted his hat and Pikachu gave an exited squeal.

It was go time.

* * *

 **Alright. I** _ **know**_ **that Leafeon can't learn Grassy Terrain and Sandslash can't learn the elemental punches, but that doesn't make sense to me. So they can :) And yeah, I'm aware that I casually slipped Landorus into the list of Pokemon that Ash captured.**

 **Also, fun fact about me: Camerupt is my all time favorite Pokemon! I caught one in Alpha Sapphire and named it Roomba :)**

 **Aaaaand, I know being ten feet from lava would kill anyone, but, hey! Pokemon!**

 **Just some tidbits about the chapter that occured to me when I was (am?) writing this:**  
 **One: Good lord, we're almost at the end of the islands! And you know what that means?**

 _ **Tobias. Red. Blue. Green. Various other colors and precious metals.**_

 **Two: Xerneas v. Tentacruel: perhaps the most anticlimactic battle out there. But really, Tentacruel is fucking** _ **huge**_ **. It would take a lot more to damage him. Also, Team Rocket created that. And Team Rocket has access to Master Balls. So... Why not create a shitload of those massive Pokemon? Fuck legendaries, Team Rocket would be invincible!**

 **Three: The Pokemon Ash is using in the league actually** _ **are**_ **random. I put all the types in a name generator, generated a type, and then put all of Ash's Pokemon of that type into the same generator and BAM! Pokemon. If you are wondering, here's the order.**

 **(MINOR) SPOILER ALERT!**  
 **1) Ninjask. 2) Medicham. 3) Magmortar. 4) Vaporeon. 5) Breloom. 6) Aerodactyl. 7) Dialga.**  
 **8)... ;) I have something** _ **really**_ **special planned...**

 **Warning, these** _ **are**_ **subject to change at my whims, so don't come yelling if in round two I use Delphox or Kingdra or** _ **someone**_ **else. Hell, I could pull out Giga Dragonite if I wanted to.**

 **Four: The little bit after Insect Island was a really, _really_ bad attempt at humor. I swear, I'm not usually that bad... **

**Well, I think that's enough rambling from me. Tada~!**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: It's Go Time, Part 2

Ash stared down his opponent - the poor lad was practically trembling in his boots. Ash wanted to laugh - everyone thought he was going to use only legendaries in the tournament, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Ash refocused on the battlefield after the referee called for Sinon to release his Pokemon first.

"Nidorina, I choose you!" Sinon yelled, thrusting his hand forward and releasing the Pokeball. With a flash, a Nidorina leapt out of the ball while it was still midair and hit the ground with a menacing growl.

Or, at least it _would_ have been menacing if Ash was just another trainer.

But he wasn't, so the growl had no effect on him. And now, seeing as it was his turn, he pulled his Pokeball from his belt and threw it into the battlefield.

"Ninjask, I choose you!"

...

...

 _"And Ash Ketchum chooses_ not _to battle with one of his legendaries! Is this a strategy, or just an act of pity?"_ The announcer yelled.

Ash scoffed. 'Pity? Yeah right.' he thought.

Seeing as Sinon was making no indication that he was going to begin, Ash decided to start.

"Agility into an Aerial Ace," Ash calmly intoned. Ninjask complied, body glowing in a pinkish light before he shot at Nidorina at blinding speeds. This seemed to snap Sinon out of his stupor and the boy frantically yelled for Nidorina to dodge.

It didn't dodge.

And with one attack, Nidorina was launched into the wall surrounding the battlefield and was knocked out.

The stadium was silent for a few moments before Gary Oak stood up from where he was sitting and started clapping slowly, the noise echoing throughout the arena for about a minute before the rest of the crowd caught on and erupted into cheers.

 _"Well folks, it looks like Ash did_ not _have pity in mind when he released Ninjask."_ The announcer quipped after he regained his composure.

With a sigh, Sinon recalled his Nidorina and switched to his next Pokeball - his second of the three that he would be using today.

"Raticate, I choose you!" He called, chucking the Pokeball into the field.

"Super Fang!" Sinon yelled, and his Raticate ran forwards at where Ninjask lazily floated.

"Dodge left then use Night Slash!" Ash yelled, getting into the battle.

Ninjask waited until Raticate had jumped at him before dodging so fast it looked like a Teleport and slamming into Raticate's right flank with a Night Slash.

Sinon grimaced, but realized that Raticate still had _just_ enough left in him to fight. He pointed at the sky before yelling "Sunny Day!"

Raticate nodded and sent a fiery orb into the sky where it exploded into an artificial sun. Immediately afterwards, the stadium put on the sunglasses provided to them by the League for situations like this and kept watching.

"Now! Flame Whee-" Sinon started, but was cut off by Ninjask slamming into Raticate with a Giga Impact. "Return..." Said a visibly less happy exited Sinon.

"Wartortle, I choose you," Sinon said, unenthusiastically throwing his last Pokeball into the field. Ash could see that Sinon had given up on the battle, something that made him upset, and so he decided to end it.

"Solar Beam," Ash said, just loud enough for Ninjask to hear it.

Wartortle was out before it even hit the wall.

* * *

"Hey man, don't sweat it," Ash began. He was in the middle of the field after shaking hands with a visibly sad Sinon and he felt bad for the rookie.

Sinon frowned. "That's easy for you to say!" He spat, not looking into Ash's eyes. "You didn't lose in the first round!" Ash grabbed his shoulder.

"Sinon, how many years have you been training?" Ash asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, one, but..."

Ash cut him off.

"But nothing. This is my _eighth year_. I have had _seven_ more years than you to train my Pokemon, but you know what?"

Sinon looked up, heat gone from his eyes.

"I lost my first conference because my Charizard refused to listen to me."

"Yeah, bu-"

"I lost my second conference to a trainer with Pokemon that I had never seen before in my _life_."

"So?-"

"I lost my _third_ conference to a _Meowth_." _Well, probably the most well-trained Meowth in the world, but he didn't need to know that._

"That doesn't-"

"My fourth conference some guy came in and swept the entire League with a Darkrai. Somehow, I managed to take it out after losing _four_ Pokemon and then he sent out a _Latios_ , which knocked out my other two, though the second one managed to take it out with it.

"My _fifth_ conference was by far my worst. I lost to a rookie that didn't even bring six Pokemon to a six-on-six match!"

"We-"

"It wasn't until my sixth conference in that many regions that I finally had success. But my point is, don't let losing get you down. I've been there before, and it sucks when you let it get to you. Besides," Ash said, a smirk growing on his features, "You can say that it took the champion of the most powerful - though unofficial- League to take you down.. You can say that it took the man that has captured every legendary in the world-" _Okay, so that was a fib, he hadn't captured every legendary._

Yet.

"-to take you down. And _you can say_ that it took the man who brought Lance and Cynthia down with _one Pokemon_ to take you down." At this point Ash's smirk grew.

"But don't mention that second one to anybody just yet. I want it to be a surprise."

Both trainers left the arena in a good mood.

* * *

Ash's next opponent was a familiar face. Standing across the Water Field, just like all those years ago, was _eccentric_ Mandi, cheering squad and all. And judging by his face, he remembered Ash.

It was a guilty pleasure that Ash felt when he realized that the arrogant Mandi was looking upon him in fear.

"Red side, you have been chosen to go first. Please release your Pokemon," the referee called into his mic while pointing to Ash.

 _Fine by me._

"Medicham, it's your turn!"

With not even the slightest sound, Medicham burst out from her ball and assumed a fighting stance on Ash's side of the field.

Mandi regained some of his composure - or at least tried to- before he released his Crobat.

"Supersonic!" Mandi screeched, trying to take Ash by surprise.

It didn't work.

"Medicham, Thunderpunch!" Ash countered.

Medicham gave no indication that she heard, but a moment later she sprang into action, crossing the field so fast that it looked like teleportation before slamming her thunder-coated fist into Crobat's main body, slamming the bat pokemon into the ground. Without any order, she followed up with an Ice Punch, finishing Crobat off.

 _"And Ash Ketchum releases another unbelievably strong Pokemon!"_ The commentator bellowed into the mic. _"Can he be stopped?"_

No.

Not now, not ever.

After recalling his Crobat, Mandi reached into his pocket, and with a flourish, released his next Pokemon.

"Exeggutor, Hyper Beam!" Mandy shouted, again trying to get an attack in early. This time, however, it almost worked due to Medicham's proximity to the grass/psychic-type. Ash watched the devastating attack near Medicham for a fraction of a second before he yelled.

"Medicham! Jump into a Zen Headbutt!"

This time, Medicham's reaction was instantaneous - Medicham leapt into the air before crashing into the Coconut Pokemon with a psychic-energy coated head, slamming the Exeggutor _through_ the platform that it was levitating on and knocking it into the water below.

Finally, Mandi released his Kingdra.

"Dragon Pulse!" He yelled, _again_ trying to get an early advantage, or, at this point, trying to _hit_ Medicham at least once.

"Thunder Punch the water," Ash shouted, and Medicham slammed her fist into the water, electrocuting it and the Kingdra inside. However, that wasn't enough to take the Kingdra out, and the water/dragon-type levitated out of the water and above a platform before spewing out an enraged Draco Meteor at Medicham.

The attack devastated the platform that Medicham had been occupying a split second prior, but Kingdra was too slow to see - let alone _dodge_ the follow-up Focus Blast that Medicham sent its way not a second afterwards.

* * *

"Mr. Ketchum! Mr. Ketchum!" Another reporter yelled. Ash internally groaned. He had been answering questions for the last five minutes and already the barrage of queries was getting to him.

"Yes?" Ash addressed the reporter in question.

"Will you please tell me, and all of KTV, how you managed to acquire at least four legendaries in the span of less than a year?"

Ash smirked.

 _Well that would be because of a challenge presented to me by Arceus and Hoopa, but you'd never believe that._

Ash pretended to think for a second before answering.

"Well, I guess I just got really lucky. I captured most of my Pokemon on the islands that I've been training on." Ash said.

The reporter absently wrote that all down while nodding and Ash turned to another reporter who had her hand up.

"Mr. Ketchum, would you mind sharing with us here at HTV just _where_ you have been training this last year? Our sources say that you just dropped off the map after competing in the Kalos League and now you're suddenly back with not only legendaries, but insanely powerful regular Pokemon as well!"

 _Perfect!_

Ash didn't miss a beat before he responded.

"Well, the _where_ is simple: I've been on a set of nineteen islands that have been shielded from human discovery by a certain legendary." _That's not_ too _far from the truth..._ "The how, though, well... That's a bit more complicated, and incredibly hard to believe."

 _Well, here it goes. It's time to take the plunge._

Ash took a deep breath before continuing.

"You see, I captured those legendaries _on_ the islands that I mentioned. However, I got to those islands because of Arceus himself. He, along with Hoopa, appeared before me and presented me with a challenge, and I took it. _That's_ where I've been."

Ash didn't give them any time to ask questions before he continued.

"I know, it sounds really, _really_ hard to believe, but it's true-" Ash was cut off by a particularly annoying reporter from Jhoto.

"I'm sorry, _sir,_ " He said, pouring a lot of sarcasm into the word, "But just _how_ do you expect us to believe that?"

In response, Ash grabbed one of the Master Balls on a chain around his neck, unshrunk it, and tossed it onto the stage next to him.

With a flash, Palkia appeared.

 _"Every thing Ash has said is completely true."_

The reporters went ballistic.

* * *

In Ash's next battle, Magmortar absolutely decimated Holly Ghemis' Jolteon, Furret, and Blastoise.

The next day, Vaporeon crushed Martin Rock's surprisingly balanced team of Feraligatr, Meganium, and Typhlosion, advancing Ash yet again to the finals.

* * *

 _...I'm facing_ _ **TRIP?!**_ _Why is he even_ _ **here**_ _?!_

* * *

 _I'm facing_ _ **KETCHUM?!**_ _Oh_ _ **shit!**_

* * *

Before that, though, he had two days of rest. Normally, Ash would use those to either select his next team, research the remaining trainers, or relax, but this league was different.

No, Ash was going to go back and complete another island while taking his mom, Gary, and Professor Oak with him. However, that would leave the camp unguarded so Ash decided to leave a few Pokemon behind along with a lot of food, water, and Poffins (his way of saying thank you to whoever volunteered) to guard his tent camp. With that in mind he released his Pokemon ten at a time, asking around to see if anyone wanted to stay behind.

About an hour later, he had eight Pokemon that were looking forward to the relaxation that two days without training would probably bring. The eight were Forretress, Ampharos, Golurk, Ludicolo, Carracosta, Druddigon, Sableye and Togekiss. His Braviary had wanted to as well, but quite frankly Ash didn't want the enthusiastic but lovable bird roaming around without him there.

So, with that settled, Ash thanked the eight another time, gathered the other humans in his camp, and called for Hoopa.

One portal later and the quartet was off.

* * *

As it turned out, Ash had forgotten about one minor detail - portal travel was extremely unpleasant for anyone who _wasn't_ him.

As such, he had to stand around while his mom, rival, and mentor puked their guts out onto his training field.

After about ten seconds, an idea finally came to him and he released his Meganium, Blissey, and Vaporeon.

"Hey guys, we have an issue..." Ash started, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Long story short, Hoopa's portals are unpleasant, so Meganium, use Aromatherapy, Blissey, do your healing combo, and Vaporeon..." Ash said, sheepishly shrugging, "Um, just wash the puke away."

* * *

"Well, this hall is my bedroom and five guest bedrooms. Feel free to take whichever ones you want - we'll be staying here tonight. I'm fairly certain that each bedroom has a balcony; the ones on the left side look over the ocean and some of the other islands - I'll get to those in a second," Ash added, seeing Professor Oak's inquisitive glance at him.

"...And the ones on the right overlook the training field and pond - I call it a lake so don't be confused. Down there," Ash pointed in the general direction of the courtyard, "Is the courtyard. I use it for a training field, and all of those Pokemon are mine, so there's no need to a) try to capture them or b) be wary of them. Uh, other than that, the kitchen is that way," Ash pointed, "Bathrooms are in each room, and you can ask any of my water-types if you want to go to any of the islands."

Ash thought for a few moments about anything he might've missed before he suddenly perked up.

"Oh!" Ash said, "A couple more things. Here are some rebreathers," He handed one each to the others before elaborating, "The islands are connected by way of underwater tunnels. So if you want to visit any, that's how it'll be done. Oh!" Ash said, "Actually, you could take a flying-type too, if you wanted to. Anywho, on each island there is one trainer. I'll let them suprise you, though if you know me, the trainers really shouldn't. So! That's all, if you have any questions, feel free to ask one of the residential trainers, and if there's a _huge_ emergency, shout for Arceus or Hoopa. Well, see ya! I'm off to Normal Island."

Gary held up one hand and smirked.

"Well, I guess that I'm heading there too then. After all, my Pokemon could use a decent challenge."

* * *

Normal Island was essentially one giant meadow. Trees were scattered in random formations and there was a moderately-sized red house in the off in the distance, but other then that the island was pretty, well, _normal_.

"This is it?" Gary asked. "I was expecting something more... _spectacular_ "

Ash shrugged. "Usually they are! Heck, Flame Island was a giant volcano. They're usually a bit more interesting."

"Hey, I resent that. I think this island island is perfect," A new voice cut in from behind the duo.

Gary and Ash whipped around (Well, Gary did. Ash just kinda turned.) in shock, only to find a smirking Norman and his Slaking standing a few meters behind them.

"Hey Norman!" Ash called, holding a hand up in greeting. "What're you up to?"

The former gym leader shrugged, replying, "Well, I was just out on a stroll looking for some more Pokemon when I saw you two. Can I join you?"

Ash nodded enthusiastically before remembering Gary, who had not been introduced to the normal-type specialist.

"Oh! Norman, this is Gary Oak, my first rival and grandson of Professor Oak." Recgonizing his cue, Gary stuck his hand out and Norman promptly shook it, replying,

"Nice to meet you! I'm Norman Maple, former gym leader of Petalburg City and a normal-type enthusiast," He said, smiling at the spiky-haired brunette.

After the trio became aquainted with one another, they started walking and chatting while searching for any local Pokemon to add to their teams.

After about a minute, the trio came across a Smeargle, who promptly grabbed its tail and pointed it at them menacingly. Ash held his hands up to placate the painter before turning to the other two.

"Norman, it's your island. Do you wanna have a shot?" Ash politely asked, but the former gym leader shook his head. "No, I've already got a Smeargle. Thanks for offering though!"

Ash smiled and nodded before turning to Gary and offering him the same thing, but his rival shot him down too, smirking,

"No, I think I'd like to see how handle this, _Ashy-Boy_ ," Gary joked.

Ash gave a friendly growl at the name but nonetheless complied and reached into his bag to grab a Pokeball. After a few seconds of rummaging, he found the one he was looking for and pulled it out triumphantly.

"Okay then! Gallade, I choose you!"

Gallade emerged from his Pokeball before swinging his swords around in a challenging manner.

Suddenly, though, the tip of Smeargle's tail turned dark purple and it vanished into a pool of shadows.

Gary's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit Ash, are all Pokemon this insane on these islands?" He asked his rival, but it was Norman that responded.

"No," Norman shook his head, "I've never seen a Smeargle on this island that knows _Shadow Force_."

"Oh," Gary replied. "Well, I guess that I'll just chalk this one up to Ash's luck and move on then."

"Good idea," Norman agreed.

Finally, Smeargle reappeared, appearing right behind Gallade and slamming into him with a ghostly aura.

And and Gallade were quick to respond though, and Ash called for a Brick Break that Gallade happily delivered to Smeargle's face. Smeargle immediately shot back with a Diamond Storm, though, which had the side-effect of dropping the two bystander's jaws again before Gallade jumped over the pink, jagged diamonds of Diancie's signature attack and launched a Focus Blast into Smeargle.

Then Smeargle used Techno Blast, and the battle devolved into chaos from there.

* * *

In the next hour and a half Ash captured a Persian, Blissey, Kangaskhan, Ditto (sneaky motherfucker, that one was), Porygon-Z, Ursaring, Zangoose, and a Stoutland. Now though, Ash, Gary (who had decided after Ash caught Smeargle that he _might_ not be strong enough to challenge any of the residential Pokemon, a revelation that was quickly proven true when Ash challenged a Ditto that had instantly morphed itself into a cannon and started launching Hydro Cannons), and Norman stood looking at Regigigas.

"It's _huge_!" Gary breathed, looking vertically up, trying to catch a glimpse of the top of the Collosal Pokemon.

"I'm just trying to figure out how I never noticed this," Norman added.

The two turned to Ash, who had been silent for the last few minutes, to find him rummaging through his pack. A few moments later he pulled out a Master Ball and with no preface threw it into the air.

It snapped open a few seconds later to reveal his Zygarde (Not his shiny one, but neither of his companions knew that he had two). Zygarde took one look at Regigigas, who still hadn't moved an inch and promptly erupted into a bright, tricolored beacon of light that shone red, blue, and green. The beacon started expanding rapidly towards Ash and co, so the three sprinted away from it for a number of yards before coming to a halt and turning around to watch.

Finally, the light seemed to shatter like glass, revealing Perfect Zygarde in all of his glory.

And that was when Regigigas' Slow Start wore off and the battle began.

* * *

 **Whoa, whoa, whoa. Is this two chapters within a decent amount of time of each other?!**

 **lol yeah right.**

 **Anyways, a number of tidbits about this chapter.**

 _ **1)**_ _Ash doesn't do pity. He just isn't capable of unleashing a Pokemon that is anywhere close to a reasonable level of power. Every battle he's in is like releasing Cynthia's_ _ **MEGA**_ _Garchomp, Lance's Dragonite, Steven's Metagross, Wallace's Milotic, Drake's Mega Salamence, Alder's Volcanora, and Diantha's Mega Gardevoir, along with a slew of other Pokemon against a Metapod._

 _ **2)**_ _Now that I've had to type some of the ways that Ash lost his leagues (I know I did it in the Prologue but that was different), I realized just how retarded some of his losses were. Seriously Ketchum, a Meowth? You lost to PUSS IN BOOTS?!_

 _Don't even get me started on Unova._

 _ **3)**_ _Finally, we see some of the other characters from the mainland! I really,_ _ **really**_ _wanted to make Gary an islander but I didn't know what he would've specialized in. Dark? Electric?_

 _...Actually, had I thought of Dark (his Umbreon) before I wrote that chapter I probably would've used him..._

 _ **4)**_ _Portal's are pretty unpleasant for anyone who_ isn't _Ash._

 _ **5)**_ _Zygarde, kicking some ass._

 _ **6)**_ _A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES STEEL ISLAND! ;)_

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Butterflypuss:** _Thanks!_  
 **Kasp7755:** _You really think that? That means a lot to me. But yeah, updating quickly has never been one of my strong suits, and it probably won't become one any time soon. My muse has a tendency to wander about..._  
 **The Creator:** _Two is a good number ;)_  
 _1) HUMOR! But who knows what Ash was thinking. ...I might do that some more._  
 _2) "...yo mamma took the ugly ones and put them into one nerd."_  
 _4) Why'd you skip three? And yes, yes it would've been :D_  
 _5) Really? I love Hoenn!_  
 _7) A: you have a really weird numbering system, man. B: Oh shit, they are!_  
 _8) I think that a redo of Kanto would've been way,_ way, _**WAY**_ _better than Unova was._  
 _9) Bleach, man. I bleached my eyes._

 **Anywho, I've kept you guys for long enough. So long!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

_A random but necessary chapter_

* * *

"Serperior, Leaf Blade!"

"Breloom, Fire Punch."

Trip had gotten worse.

Indeed, if there was one thing Ash learned from systematically taking down his team without receiving any damage in return was that Trip had not only not improved, he had actually managed to get _worse_. It might have been the fact that he used the same team that he used against Ash in the Unova League- bar _one_ evolution (Frillish to Jellicent)- and so Ash knew their counters, but his battling was just _sloppy_.

And so with a slew of elemental punches, Ash had systematically worked his way through Trip's entire team, ending with Serperior who Breloom was _juuuust_ about to pun-

And then the Fire Punch connected with Serperior's face and slammed the Unovan grass starter into a wall.

 _And Ketchum wins yet again!_

* * *

A couple hours later, Ash and co were back on the islands. Ash had already left behind his oddly-colored Druddigon along with Steelix, Glalie, and Tyranitar to guard camp while he has gone.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Ash unceremoniously dumped the contents of his Pokeball compartment of his bag onto the ground and turned away as everyone's Pokeball burst into red light at the same time.

A couple seconds later, Ash looked back towards his team and started talking.

"Alright! So today, we're hitting up Spooky Isla-"

His X-Transceiver started ringing.

Hitting the button to accept the call, he was surprised to see the face of Brock staring back at him.

"Hey!" Ash started, "What's up Brocko? How's Jhoto?"

"Hey Ash!" Brock smiled. "Jhoto's fine, but I'm back on the islands for a break. I was just digging around with a couple of my Pokemon when I came across what I _think_ is a Mega Stone. It looks like Mewtwo's, but instead of it being pink or blue in the middle, it's _black_. I'm sending Aerodactyl over now so you can pick it up, since you'll probably see Mewtwo before I do." He paused for a second, thinking. After a moment though, he continued. "Well, I think that that's it. Oh!" He said, remembering something, "Steven wanted to talk to you. Something about a Pokemon that he'd never heard of before?"

 _A Pokemon that Steven had never heard of before?_

Ash tuned back into the call just in time to catch Brock's goodbye.

"Thanks Brock, see ya!" Ash replied, then hung up.

A few moments later Ash was alerted by Venusaur that Brock's Aerodactyl had just landed on the training field. Thanking the starter, he allowed himself to be picked up and set onto the massive grass-type's flower to be taken over to the new arrival.

Once Ash and Venusaur made it to where Brock's Aerodactyl stood conversing with Ash's Aerodactyl, Ash noticed that a ring of his Pokemon had formed around the newcomer. Apparently, this was of high interest to his Pokemon, too, since some of Ash's Ice-Types had decided to emerge from their cave in the lake.

Once Brock's Aerodactyl saw Ash, he turned away from Ash's rock-flying type and held out a leg. Ash, seeing a package tied to it, hopped off of Venusaur and untied it from the prehistoric pokemon's leg with a pat on the head and a thank you.

Once Ash had gotten it off and backed up, Brock's Aerodactyl wasted no time in launching itself into the air and starting the flight back towards Brock's island. With the stranger gone, Ash's Pokemon crowded in closer to Ash, trying to get a glimpse of whatever was in the package.

But of all the things that Ash had expected to happen when he unwrapped the package, getting teleported to the middle of a cave wasn't one of them.

Turning around, he saw a familiar face standing in the middle of the cavern.

Mewtwo.

Without any preface, Mewtwo levitated the stone out of Ash's hands and attached it to a metal gauntlet on his arm. Nodding in satisfaction, Mewtwo held a finger on the black stone and proceeded to Mega-Evolve. However, instead of the familiar pink bubble that always accompanied the feat, Mewtwo started to glow a shadowy-purple. Ash saw Mewtwo Mega Evolve into his X-form, but then his skin turned black and with an roar, orange crystals sprouted from his shoulders. With another roar, a line ripped through Mewtwo's skin down to his legs. Finally, the purple glow died down and the line erupted into the same tainted orange as the crystals on his shoulder.

Ash inwardly cursed. All his Pokemon were back at the island, bar Pikachu who was - as always - sitting on his shoulder, but Ash had faith in his little mouse.

After all, he _was_ trained by Arceus.

So with a smirk that looked more like a grimace, Ash turned his hat backwards and shouted,

"Pikachu! I choose you!"

Ash didn't wait for Mewtwo to make a move before he yelled, "Thunderbolt!" Instantly, Pikachu let loose a thick stream of yellow electricity that soared towards Mewtwo at astonishing speeds. Mewtwo didn't even move, instead opting to _punch through_ the electricity, negating the attack. With that, Mewtwo shot forwards and - paw cloaked in shadowy energy - punched Pikachu into the cave wall behind Ash.

Pikachu, although noticeably injured from the high-power physical attack, got up like the trooper he was and unleashed a massive Thunder at Mewtwo. Ash raised an eyebrow at his starter's attack choice - Mewtwo would probably just punch through it like he did the Thunderbolt - but Pikachu's strategy became clear to Ash when his starter used the powerful electric attack to cloak a Volt Tackle.

Sure enough, Mewtwo punched through the Thunder again, negating it, but he wasn't prepared for the subsequent Volt Tackle that hit him right in the face. Mewtwo recovered quickly though, and lunged forward with a Shadow Punch that Pikachu parried with an Iron Tail.

And so began the highest-power clash that Ash had ever seen, even counting the fights between Charizard and Rayquaza, and Arceus versus the Creation Trio. Every time the duo lashed out, a wave of power erupted from the origin of the strike.

And then Mewtwo started to slow down.

It was slight at first - Pikachu scored a glancing blow of Mewtwo's side then immediately followed up with a kick to Mewtwo's kneecap - but it became obvious when Pikachu managed to score a Thunder - the first non-physical hit of the battle.

But even as Mewtwo was slowing down, Pikachu was speeding up, moving faster and faster as the battle went on. It seemed that the longer the battle raged, the stronger Pikachu got and the effects of this were clear to see.

Finally, Pikachu unleashed one last almighty Thunder and brought Mewtwo to his knees.

Ash blinked owlishly but was quick to snap out of it as he reached into his bag to grab an Master Ball.

Ten seconds later, Ash was retrieving the purple sphere from the center of the cavern.

"..."

Ash stared down at the ball.

"..."

Slowly, a grin spread across his face.

"Alright! We caught _Mewtwo_!"

"Pikapi!"

* * *

"Why are there so many Arceus-dammed _psychic-type legendaries_?!" Ash asked his weary starter. Since capturing Mewtwo, Ash had come across a Deoxys (which put up a hell of a fight), the entirety of Sinnoh's Lake Trio, who Pikachu took on _three-on-one_ , a Cresselia, who almost blinded Ash with it's lunar wing, and the Mew from the Tree of Beginning, who apparently didn't have to stay there anymore.

Also, he had come across an Alakazam, Grumpig, a Gothitelle who had the audacity to try to _control_ Pikachu, a Mega Slowbro (whom Ash and Pikachu had desperately tried not to laugh at), and a Starmie.

All in the span of two hours.

It went unsaid that the two were tired.

...

"Ash! Hey, Ash!"

Ash knew who it was before he even turned around.

"Max!" Ash said, turning to face the young trainer. "How's it going?"

Max grinned widely. "Great! You'll never guess who I caught!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Jirachi?"

"Jirac- Wha-! How'd you know?" Max shouted.

Ash looked at the Jirachi hovering over Max's head.

"Wild guess." He deadpanned.

Max looked up.

"Oh." He paused. "Well, anyway, do you wanna come see my building? It's a tree-house!"

"Lead the way," Ash smiled.

* * *

When Max said 'tree-house', he wasn't fucking around, Ash thought.

'Though, I think a better term would be tree _mansion_ ,' Ash thought while staring up at the three-story building in the middle of a grove of trees. The youngest member of the Hoopa League had taken Ash on a tour of the most badass tree-house he had ever seen. So far Ash had seen the kitchen, the living rooms (all ten of them) a massive training field on the top of the house, and Max's bedroom.

Currently, though, the duo had made their way back up to the top of the house and back to the training area and were making their way towards a sheltered area with a video phone.

Once they got there, Max started rapidly dialing a number. After about a second, he stopped and stepped back as the screen lit up with the faces of May and her mom.

"Max!" The two girls chorused.

"Hey guys! How's life?"

"Its been great," May responded, "I've finally been able to catch some downtime so I've been home for the last two days." She suddenly gained a mock stern expression and put her hands on her hips.

"Now do you mind telling me where and how exactly you managed to catch a Delphox?"

Max smirked. "Well the _how_ is easy: I threw a Pokeball at it."

May raised an eyebrow and started tapping a foot.

Max paled and hastily continued, "Uh, the where is a bit more complicated. I don't know exactly where I am right now."

This is when Ash butted into the conversation.

"Really? You don't know? Well, then prepare to have your mind blown. We're not on Earth right now."

Three jaws dropped before Max composed himself and said, "Very funny Ash. Seriously, where are we?"

In response, Ash tapped the lone Pokeball on his belt. With a flash, Mewtwo appeared, much to the shock of the two women.

 _"I'm guessing that I am to confirm your claim?"_ Mewtwo asked Ash.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great," he replied.

 _"Alright."_ Turning to face Max and the video phone, he repeated what Ash had said.

 _"We are not on Earth right now."_ Then, deciding to elaborate, he continued.

 _"You are in the Hall of Origin."_ Then, not wanting to deal with the questions that would raise, he recalled himself with a smirk in Ash's direction."

"What's the Hall of Origin?"

"Was that a _Mewtwo_?!"

"Is Max safe?"

... Great.

Max, sensing that the topic needed to be switched, said, "Hey, Ash?"

Ash, taking the opportunity, responded, "Yeah?"

"How're the others doing in the Leagues?"

Ash took a moment to think before he responded, "Well, I'm not sure..."

* * *

Brock was having a surprisingly challenging time in the Jhoto League. His first opponent happened to specialize in water types, which he had counters for, but was a surprisingly competent trainer. He still managed to beat him fairly easily, though, so it was all okay.

And then his next opponent was one that he remembered from Ash's challenge of the Sinnoh League.

 _Tobias_ was in _Jhoto_.

His first Pokemon was his Darkrai, unsurprisingly, which Brock managed to take down with his Archeops. Then he released his Latios, whom he promptly Mega-Evolved.

And then a Suicune.

And then a Regigigias.

And then a Ho-Oh.

And finally he released a Pokemon that Brock had never seen before. It looked a lot like a Diancie, but it was covered in steel and wielded magic as its main weapon. Tobias called it Magearna, and it took down three of his Pokemon before Brock sent in Steelix to take it out.

* * *

In comparison, Zero was having a way easier time in the Ever Grande League. For some reason, not many trainers from outside of Hoenn challenged the League, so most of the trainers were using the same Pokemon.

Her Gardevoir was having a blast.

Well, perhaps a _Moon_ blast was more accurate.

* * *

Clemont grit his teeth as his Luxray took another Fire Punch from the enraged Magmortar. It was the final match and both trainers were down to their last pokemon, after his opponent managed to whittle Clemont down with a Contrary Serperior.

Type resistance or no, it was pretty hard to stand up to a barrage of razor-sharp leaves that just kept getting stronger.

Finally, he saw an opening.

"Luxray! Thunder!"

And the Hoopa League chalked up its first League Championship.

XX

"Pansage, spice things up with a Bullet Seed!" Cilian cackled as his Pansage downed another trainer's Pokemon.

...Yeah, Cilian was doing fine.

XX

 _And, what a_ surprise _,_ The announcer droned, _Alain has sent out his Charizard_.

The crowd groaned.

"Chaizard! Harness the power beyond evolution! _Mega-Evolve_!"

The crowd groaned even louder.

Up in the VIP box, though, Drasna grinned ear-to-ear and started making plans for a trip to Kanto.

* * *

"...But I'm sure that they are doing just fine," Ash finished.

Max nodded, content with the answer before he pulled out a Pokeball, a large grin on his face.

"So Ash, remember when you promised me a battle?"

Ash looked at Pikachu and grinned.

* * *

 **That's all, folks!**

 **Yeah, I know: it's a shorter chapter than what I usually do. I just couldn't really think of anything to** _ **do**_ **with this chapter, and we needed to check in with the Pokemon Leagues anyway, so that's what I did.**

 _ **It was a random but necessary chapter.**_

 **Speeeaking of the League, Tobias makes his first(ish) appearance, and his whole party is revealed!**

 **Tobias:**

 **It's always been my personal theory that Tobias was created for two reasons.**  
 **Number one was because there was no way that Ash could've realistically lost to any normal trainer in the Sinnoh League - he was waayyy too on top of his game for that. So in order to get his ass to Unova, they stuck Tobias in. (Although, they probably should've held off and re-thought their plans for Unova, because frankly, they sucked.)**  
 **The other reason is because I think they wanted to show us (the fanbase) how cheap it is to walk into the Pokemon League with a team of six legendaries, which I** _ **know**_ **we're all guilty of. I mean seriously, there's just something fun about crushing the strongest trainers in the world with virtually unstoppable Pokemon. But if you look at it from the Elite Four's perspective, it really is just** _ **cheap**_ **. I mean, legendaries** _ **only**_ **appear to those who are worthy, thus cutting off all access to every one else, and they are the** _ **physical embodiment of god-damn NATURE. And TIME. Oh, and how could I forget Arceus, who is**_ _ **literally GOD**_ **?**

 **Anywho, rant over. Reviews!**

 **MegaHeracross214: Oh, okay! Thanks for clearing that up.**  
 **Xperior: Really? I think that could go for a solid 8.1! :) Seriously, though, thanks!**  
 **butterflypuss: Thanks!**  
 **Guest: Yeah, there's something about a legendary showing up that lends credibility to most stories :)**  
 **The Creator: That was a terrible pun.**

 **...**

 **I LOVED IT. 1) The number three? Huh. Never would've guessed. 2) Ash doesn't** _ **have**_ **any weak Pokemon. Like, period. They're all at pretty much the same level. Sure, he doesn't use legendaries because he realizes that that would be overkill, but really, going up against his Arcanine would be almost the same as going up against his Moltres. 4) Damn right I am.**

 **Peace!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: The End(?)

**Guys, this is** _ **it**_ **.**

 **One. Island. Left.**

Ash cursed as he ran into another wall.

Spooky Island turned out be be primarily composed of a giant, foggy, haunted mansion - that suprisingly _wasn't_ Morty's house - and a giant, (wait for it), _foggy_ forest.

Rather steroytypical if you asked him.

Regardless, though, he was here to finish his last island, something that he could hardly believe was happening. It seemed like just yesterday that he landed puking in the Hall of Origins, but he wasn't too sad - after all, it wasn't like he was leaving.

Still, it was weird for the raven-haired trainer and his Pikachu.

Ash was snapped out of his thoughts, though, when he ran into yet another wall.

And then the wall moved, and a Gorgiest promptly screeched in his face.

Ash grinned despite the noise that was trying to etch itself into his eardrums and pulled a Pokeball off of his belt.

"Talonflame, I choose you!" Ash called, lobbing the ball into the air.

Ash thought for a few moments on his plan of attack, when it dawned on him.

"...Talonflame, use Defog."

* * *

Now that Ash could see, he clipped the Pokeballs containing the Super-Sized Gorgiest (which he barely refrained from dubbing 'Big Mac') and Talonflame onto his belt before looking around.

Suprisingly, the mansion that he found himself in was well-kept, as evidenced by the lack of Spinarak webs and dust. Unsuprsingly, though, Ash noticed quite a few ghost-types staring straight at him looking for a challenge.

Ash just pulled off another Pokeball from his belt and released his Hydreigon.

* * *

Three minutes later saw Ash holding that many Pokeballs - a Banette, a Dusknoir, and a Mismagius were all now safe in his backpack.

Oh, and he was staring down a Giratina, but that was a minor detail.

And then the _minor detail_ roared and Ash flew back a few yards.

Ash turned his hat backwards.

 _Two could play at that game_

"Alright!" Ash yelled, "Dia-"

 _"Ash," Giratina growled, "I swear to ARCEUS that if you release Dialga of Palkia I will PERSONALLY drag your sould to the Distortion World. Do you understand me?"_

Ash lowered the Master Ball.

* * *

Hoopa zipped out through another portal, slamming into Yevtal and knocking him back a few feet.

"Oblivion Wing!" Ash shouted, pointing at Hoopa.

In a flash, Yvetal's wing became dark red and he swatted Hoopa away like a fly before following up with a Giga Impact at Ash's command.

Suprisingly, Hoopa remained consious and relatively uninjured before she smirked and smashed a bottle.

And in that moment, Ash almost shit himself.

Because when Hoopa smashed that bottle, the cute, small, mischevious Hoopa Ash knew and -mostly - loved wasn't there anymore.

No, in her place was a literal demon.

And then the monstrosity summoned hundreds of portals, all of which spawned hands that flew forwards and slammed into Yvetal, smashing him into the ground and knocking him out.

Ash recalled Yvetal and took a few moments to think after giving the parakeet of destruction a word of thanks and clipping the master ball back onto his necklace. After a moment, Ash suddenly nodded and grabbed the master ball across from Yvetals, throwing it into the air with a burst of scarlet light. With a strangely melodic roar, Xerneas emerged, and preformed a Geomancy before Hoopa could react.

That didn't stop Hoopa though, and she rushed forwards again, more portals opening behind her by the second.

Xerneas wasn't fazed though, and she released a Moonblast point-blank into Hoopa's face.

She wasn't done yet though, and unleashed a Hyper Beam straight into Hoopa.

Ash pumped his fist, exuberant at his victory, when Hoopa came flying out of the smoke at Xerneas, who was still recovering from the use of the powerful move. Then, Hoopa flew way up into the sky and summoned a massive portal right above Xerneas.

Ash bit his lip, nervous, when it struck him and he smirked.

"GRAVITY!"

Xerneas slammed his legs down, disrupting Hoopa's concentration and intensified gravity to such a degree that Hoopa was slammed five feet into the dirt, where she didn't rise again.

Ash wasn't sure though, and watied until she reverted back to her normal form to run over and congratulate Xerneas before lobbing a Master Ball at Hoopa. She didn't fight it, and it dinged and clicked right after the first wiggle.

Ash looked down, staring at the pokeball before a large grin broke his disbeliving demenor and he grabbed Pikachu, spinning his strater around in joy.

"Pikachu, we _did_ it!"

"Pika Pika!"

"We caught..." Ash started.

 _"A HOOPA!"_

* * *

Four hours later, Ash stood in the Hall of Origins with Arceus.

 _"Ash,"_ the creation Pokemon started, _"Lets face it. There is no way that you could beat me."_

Ash opened his mouth indignantly but Arceus cut him off with a glare.

 _"No. You can't. It's not. Possible. I am literally unbeatable! I created everything!"_

"But I had a plan!"

Arceus softened a bit.

 _"Yes, Ash, and it was a good one. One that would undoubably work on any lesser Pokemon, but not on me. You_ are _aware that Simple Beam doens't have any effect on a Pokemon with the Multitype ability, right?_ "

Well shit. That had been a central part of Ash's plan.

 _"And Ash, I hate to disappoint you, but you will not be capturing me."_ Arcues told him. _"...Well,"_ he ammended, _"At least not in the_ traditional _sense. No, you will still be able to call upon me if you wish to do so,"_ Arcues informed him, levitating over a chrome white Pokeball with a horizontal gold stripe down the middle, _"But I will not reside in this Pokeball. Nay, I will remain here, in the Hall of Origins, where I will keep watch, but should you want to call upon me, that Pokeball will function normally, with the exception that it will teleport me to you at that time. Try it,"_ Arceus offered.

Ash did, snapping open the Master Ball by sliding his thumb over the green central button and sure enough, Arceus disappeared from where he was standing and reappeared in the flash of scarlet light that followed Ash's opening of the Master Ball.

"Huh, cool!" Ash decided, clipping the now-shrunken Master Ball onto the bottom of his necklace.

"So, what's next?"

 _"Next?"_ Arceus repeated.

"Yeah," Ash confirmed.

 _"Next, you kick some ass."_

* * *

 **Guys, that's it.**

 **You know, for a while I was debating on whether or not to just end the story here. I still might; it's a good stopping point. But I think that I'll leave that one up to you.**

 **So my question is:**

 **Do you want me to continue this story?**

 **OR**

 **Do you want a sequel?**

 **Literally, they'd both probably end up being the same thing. The only difference is that if you guys want a** _ **sequel**_ **, I'd get to slap a nice little completed sign onto this story and go post under a new title, probably something like 'The Ultimate League'**

 **Either way, I'm probably going to be focusing on a** _ **new**_ **idea I have, one that I'm not sure if anyone has done before yet, because thats just what I do: Create new ideas.**

 **So here's a little snippet! Feel free to skip this if you want to.**

A Mudkip groggily stood up, shaking his head to clear it before turning to look at the only other occupant of the room - a large seaside cavern - and asking, "Are they gone?"

His companion - a Pikachu - nodded and picked up the Mudkip's Treasure before handing it to his suddenly-awake companion.

"You got it back?!" Mudkip exclaimed, "Thank you so much! I thought I was going to lose it..."

The Pikachu waved a paw at him. "It was no problem!" He replied.

Mudkip nodded, clearly in thought, before he started talking again.

"You know... Before the thieves showed up, you said that you were a human, even though you're clearly a Pikachu." Mudkip held up a paw to forestall any protests before continuing.

"Don't worry, I believe you. I don't think you could've had that serious of a reaction and be lying," Mudkip said, referring to how the Pikachu had fainted after seeing his reflection. "I just think that there had to have been a _reason_ for you suddenly appearing, you know? The last time this happened..." Mudkip trailed off, lost in thought, before his eyes snapped open wider than they'd been before.

"A meteor almost destroyed the world."

 **So yeah! In case you couldn't tell, it's a Mystery Dungeon story, combining both the events of Red/Blue Rescue Team and Explorers of Time/Darkness! I've always loved those games, and I've had this snippet - along with almost two full chapters just sitting on my flash drive for quite some time now. So that brings me to question two:**

 _ **Would that be something that you guys would be interested in?**_

 **Or not?**

 **Well, anyway, I'm sure you know how to tell me by now. (Review!)**

 **Now, speaking of reviews:**

 **butterflypuss: As always, thanks for both of your kind words! :D**

 **TheGamingPyro: Hope Spooky Island was up to par :) #2spooky4me**

 **MewLover27: Yup! I refrained from doing too much with Magearna because frankly, I know next to nothing about it. And thanks! Also, sorta. He sorta catches Arceus.**

 **Stallion6 of Deviantart: Did it? I can't say that I've ever seen that show! It sounds cool though - one of my childhood dreams was to build the craziest tree house** _ **ever**_ **. Sadly, that never really happened.**

 **The Creator: I live to amuse :)**  
 **1) HELL YES IT WOULD BE!**  
 **2) Yeah, I never really liked that bugger either. He kinda rubbed me the wrong way.**  
 **Apparently I'm not alone on this either, seeing as how he's usually the mastermind in all of the 'Ash gets betrayed by his friends' fanfics.**  
 **3) Well no shit it was a good pun. I wrote it. :)**  
 **4) Haha, naw, I wouldn't** _ **quite**_ **do that to you guys. I just found Shadow Mewtwo** _ **way**_ **too cool to not include. And my theory about Greninja not making it is that since he is already in Smash Bros 4 (he's actually my main), they didn't want to overuse him.**  
 **5) Oh, okay! I'm glad to hear that, because I really like Hoenn. Still though, I wish that Team Aqua and Team Magma could've done something cool with Manaphy and Heatran, leading up to a mission to capture Volcanion, but** _ **hey**_ **, no biggie Nintendo. *cries***  
 **6) All of Ash's Pokemon in** _ **this**_ **fic? Or his canon Pokemon? Because in** _ **this**_ **fic, Ash's Pokemon would win. By quite a lot.**  
 **7) I actually had written a battle scene last chapter for it, but I could** _ **not**_ **make it even remotely believable without Ash just sweeping the floor with Max, which he wouldn't do, so I scrapped it.**  
 **8) Speaking of scrapped ideas, that seemingly random tidbit about Ash's Simple Beam plan came from this** _ **long-ass**_ **scene I had written for the Arceus battle, and** _ **yeah**_ **, there was going to be one. I'd been working on the scene for literally the** _ **entire**_ **story as a side-project, and the scene alone tripled the length of this chapter. And a major part of it was Ash using Genesect to lock Arceus into his Dragon Type with Simple Beam and them unloading on Arceus with Mega Rayquaza, Diancie, Xerneas, and Registeel.**

 **AND THEN I FUCKING READ THE WIKI PAGE ON SIMPLE BEAM AND FOUND OUT THAT IT DOESN'T FUCKING WORK AGAINST ARCEUS AND HIS GOD-DAMN MULTITYPE ABILITY.**

 **So I cried and scrapped the whole damn thing.**

 **Well, that's it.**

 **So for now, this is me signing off.**

 **Peace!**

 **~TheOGPokemonMaster.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **Thanks**_


	19. Chapter Ninteen: The End

A man sat in a well-lit room staring at a wall.

A wall that held eight trophies, each inscribed with their own titles.

 _Indigo League Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Orange League Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Silver Conference Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Ever Grande Conference Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Lily of the Valley Confernece Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Vertress Conference Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Kalos League Champion: Ash Ketchum_

 _Hoopa League Champion: ..._

That one had nothing written on it, for in the five years that Ash had been the champion of the Hoopa League, no one had beaten him, nor come close to that honor.

On his lap lay a Pikachu - though it was more a Raichu now: his cheeks had long since turned red and his tail had become somewhat thinner. At first, opponents of the Hoopa League tried to pin Ash with accusations of illegal experimentation on Pokemon, but an appearance from Arceus himself had quickly quelled those concerns. He chuckled. Getting ranted on by the creator of all things was not something he had planned for himself, and he pitied the reporters that Arceus had verbally ahnialated.

But just because he hadn't been pushed near his breaking point didn't mean that he hadn't had some _very_ strong challengers.

Red, for instance, had managed to knock out _three_ of his Pokemon before Ash sent in Charizard to do clean-up.

And Brendan and Sapphire? Ash smiled at the memory. Those two had swept through the League, only briefly stumbling when confronted with Jessie and James, with their double-battling prowess all the way until they had gotten to Ash.

His Mega Gardevoir and Gallade showed them who was boss pretty quickly.

He remembered what Arceus said about him being impossible to beat, but he was _seriously_ contemplating challenging him just to see if he could do it. If nothing else, he'd lose and have an obstacle to overcome, something he hadn't had in the last five years.

Well, almost.

No matter how hard he looked, he never got more than a glimpse at the Pokemon Steven called Magearna, and Tobias wasn't talking about its location either. That was okay though, he liked challenges.

Plus, Arceus had gone quiet recently and all of the sudden Ash started hearing rumors of a seventh region - one far beyond any of the main regions and even the Ranger regions.

And if _that_ wasn't enough, he had been exploring some ruins near Unova when he found a text that made one refernece. It referenced a hidden land that humans could not enter - a land filled with all kinds of Pokemon.

And Arceus wasn't much of a help on that matter either - the only thing he said was, quote, _"A lot of mysterious things happen in the rainy routes of my homeland..."_

And Ash wanted to find it.

Plus, the world had many more strong trainers that Ash hadn't battled yet. People were flocking to his pseudo-region by the dozens, all wanting their shot at taking his title.

Not that they could ever take his position as Champion, of course, it was _his_ League, but they wanted to beat it.

* * *

Still though, first things first. Ash had made up his mind.

Ash grabbed a Master Ball from the chain around his neck and tossed it into the air, releasing Hoopa.

"Take us to the Hall of Origins."

* * *

 _"I know why you're here."_

Ash nodded - he didn't need to say anything.

 _"Do you really want to try? Do you really think you have a_ chance _?"_

Ash just smirked and turned his hat around.

A ghost of a smile crossed Arceus' face and he nodded.

 _"So be it. Chosen One, come at me!"_

Ash pulled off the chain around his neck and snapped off six Master Balls while pointing for Pikachu to take the field. He would use his most powerful Pokemon for this; it wasn't any time to be messing around.

One by one, the Master Balls snapped open, revealing their contents.

Mew.

Lugia.

Rayquaza.

Dialga.

Kuyrem.

Hoopa.

All six legendaries took up positions near Pikachu and the battle began.

"Mew! Lugia! Dialga! Pikachu! Cover Rayquaza and Kuyrem!" Instantly, attacks started flying towards Arceus, but Ash paid them no mind. He simply grabbed his Mega Bracelet and sent a wish up to the heavens. Suddenly, Rayquaza erupted into a bright light and when it died down, Mega Rayquaza was in his place.

Gesturing for Rayquaza to join the battling Pokemon, he turned towards Kuyrem and pulled out the DNA Splicers from his backpack along with Zekrom's Master Ball. He released Zekrom and allowed Kuyrem and the Splicers to do the rest and after a few moments, Kuyrem had shifted to his Black forme.

Ash smiled. Now he could battle.

"Lugia! Aeroblast his right flank! Dialga! Roar of Time on his left!"

The two legendaries complied and shot their signature attacks at Arceus, but the Creation Pokemon simply tapped a hoof onto the ground and the attacks were sent careening back into their owners. Dialga took the worst of the attack, though, seeing as he was part Dragon and Roar of Time was a Dragon-typed attack, and he dropped to a knee.

Arceus capitalized on that momentary weakness and shifted to his Fairy forme, releasing a Fairy-typed Judgement on Dialga while simultaneously negating both a Draco Meteor from Kuyrem and a Dragon Rush from Rayquaza.

"Dialga, dodge!" Ash yelled, but the attack came too fast and Dialga was sent into unconsciousness. Ash recalled his fallen Dragon-type and clipped his Master Ball back onto his chain while unclipping another.

"Palkia, Spacial Rend!" He shouted, tossing the Master Ball into the air. With a roar, Palkia emerged and launched her signature attack at Arceus, scoring a lucky hit while the legendary was in it's Rock forme.

"Lugia! Hydro Pump!" While Arceus was still in rock form, Lugia shot the high-powered water-type attack at him, slamming Arceus back into a pillar.

Ash smiled, pumping a fist, until Arceus got back up and glowed white.

 _Recover_.

Suddenly, Arceus roared, sending a multicolored wave of energy in all directions at Ash's Pokemon.

Ash's eyes widened. "Dodge!" He screamed.

Ash's legendaries (and Pikachu) reacted quickly. Mew teleported who-knows-where and reappeared after the wave passed, Pikachu dug into the floor, Rayquaza flew straight through the celing, smashing a massive hole in it, and Hoopa just warped out of the way.

However, Lugia, Palkia and Kuyrem had no such luck, and were smashed by the energy wave and thrown through the air.

Ash knew that when they hit, they'd be unconscious, and apparently Kuyrem knew that too, so his Ice-type sent one last attack that hit Arceus while he was in his Grass forme - Glaciate. The attack did massive damage and had the bonus effect of freezing Arceus' legs to the ground.

Suddenly, Ash's battle instincts acted up, and he knew what to do.

"Mew! Hydro Cannon! Raquaza! Earthquake! Hoopa, Hyperspace Hole! Pikachu, jump onto Rayquaza and use Thunder!"

If there was one thing to be said about Ash, it was that he always trusted his gut.

If there was another thing to be said, it was that his gut was usually right.

Sure enough, Arceus shifted to his Fire forme to melt the ice, and that was when the powerful, and now super-effective, attacks hit him.

And then Arceus started to glow white again, and that was when Ash initiated phase two.

"Oh no you don't! Mew, Heal Block!" Mew glowed a dark purple for a second and then suddenly Arceus stopped glowing, no damage recovered. Ash smirked.

"Alright! Now, Mew, use Embargo!"

Suddenly, Arceus glowed black and found himself unable to shift formes. Ash smiled. Arceus' type-shifting relied on him being able to use his Plates - his _held items_. Take away the ability to do that... And, well, Arceus was trapped in whatever forme he was in, which in this case was his Fire forme.

Then, Ash decided to make up for the Pokemon he had lost to Arceus' attack, unclipping three Pokeballs from his chain.

"Suicune! Regigigas! Landorus! I choose you!"

With their respective roars, the three Pokemon emerged from their Master Balls and turned towards Arceus.

"Ash pointed at Arceus with a determined look in his eye.

"Hit him with all you're got! Stick with Ground and Water-type moves if you want, though - he's locked into his Fire forme!"

Mew transformed into Primal Kyogre and unleashed a Origin Pulse at Arceus.

Suicune started launching a barrage of Hydro Pumps.

Rayquaza alternated between Thunders, Dragon Ascent, Waterfalls, and Earth Powers.

Regigigas just stood next to Arceus and punched the crap out of him.

Landorus hovered around the battlefield using what looked like Earth Power, but Ash wasn't too sure.

Pikachu stood on Landorus' cloud and launched the occasional Thunder at where he thought Arceus was.

And Hoopa shifted to her Unbound forme and summoned a tons of massive portals in an attack that Ash now knew to be Hyperspace Fury.

Still though, Arceus had a lot of fight left in him.

As the battle transformed into a giant field of dust, high-powered attacks, and explosions, Ash was forced to turn away.

He ran to the other side of the room and pulled out his Go-Go Goggles and watched intently, but he still couldn't tell what was going on.

Eventually, though, the explosions became less frequent and the dust settled, allowing Ash to finally see what was going on.

And what he saw made his jaw drop.

Mew, Suicune, Rayquaza, Regigigas, and Landorus had all fainted. Ash recalled them and thanked their Master Balls profusely before turning back to the scene.

A newly-confined Hoopa and Pikachu stood over Arceus, triumphant smiles stretching across their whole faces.

Ash couldn't help it - he ran right at the two and scooped up both of the smaller Pokemon into his arms and twirled them around.

"You did it! You _did it_!" He chanted, until Arceus decided to break up the scene with a groan. Immediately, Ash set Pikachu down and allowed Hoopa to start hovering again and all three turned towards the Creation Pokemon, who had a tired but genuine smile on his face.

 _"That battle..."_ He started, _"That battle I limited myself to the restraints of a Pokemon. I was the most powerful Pokemon on the planet at that time, but I was still a Pokemon, and could be defeated like any other."_

 _"However, the fact that you managed to do so proves that you are more than worthy to capture me. I never doubted you, Chosen One, and it pleases me to no end that this day has finally come. So now I ask you to take out the Master Ball that you use to call upon me and truly capture me."_

Ash did so, gently lobbing the modified Master Ball at Arceus' flank. Everyone was silent as the ball traveled through the air, but right before the Master Ball hit Arceus, the Creation Pokemon said one last thing.

 _"Chosen One, you are truly undefeatable."_

* * *

A year later, Ash stood on one of the balconies in his house staring out at the twentieth island of the Hoopa League. He had asked Arceus to create another, smaller, island in between his island and Stone Island, and build a state-of-the-art laboratory on it for Gary. The budding researcher had been absolutely stunned, and had immediately moved to it.

When Gary came, though, so did Delia, who Ash welcomed with open arms and immedately opened up his home to her.

And, from what he heard from Max, the construction of a Contest Hall near Psychic Island was going along perfectly and should be done within the next day.

And, of course, by _construction_ Ash meant that Max was just creating a perfect model of _exactly_ how he wanted it. Dawn had even stopped by and gave Max the input of a Coordinator, allowing him to create the perfect Contest Hall. And once he created a model, Ash would give it to Arceus and allow him to do the rest.

It'd be a pretty good birthday suprise for May, Ash thought.

Of course, it would be Dawn's as well, but Ash knew that May wouldn't mind and the two would both probably be ecstatic at the prospect of living in a Contest Hall.

It was a shame that he wouldn't be around for the grand opening.

No, he'd be travelling; on a new journey that would keep him occupied for _probably_ a year or so.

* * *

The next day, Ash stood outside his door with Pikachu on his shoulder and his backpack on.

Arceus had finally decided to reveal the new region, and it looked _amazing_.

Sure, Ash had a _slight_ advantage over everyone there, and would probably crush the gyms even though he'd be capturing an entirely new team there,

Still though, Ash would be returning frequently to the islands even if he wasn't needed to face a challenger, just to check up on everyone and spend some time with his Pokemon.

He wasn't making the same mistake he had made countless times before.

He wasn't going to neglect his Pokemon this time.

And with that in mind, he waved to his mom and stepped into the portal that would take him to Vermilion City, where he would catch a cruise to the new region.

After all, where was the fun in just warping everywhere?

* * *

A single cruise ship was making its way through an ocean, Wingull flying happily around as the passengers on the top deck threw them chips and bread. A pod of Mantyke emerged from the ocean along the sides of the boat, jumping in and out of the water as small children leaned over the rails, clapping excitedly as the water-types leapt through the air.

And then there was the man with the Pikachu, splashing around in the pool with a Pokemon who most definitely did not have any right to be splashing around.

"Fernape!" An Infernape cried as he sent another wave of water at his trainer while onlookers watched with awe and not a small amount of fright as Ash Ketchum retaliated by dunking his loyal Fire-type underwater.

When both Ash and the Infernape emerged from water, laughing with each other, it became apparent that, no, they _weren't_ in fact witnessing a murder but instead were seeing a Fire-type that had managed to overcome its elemental weakness. Awed expressions graced the features of everyone present as they had never seen a Pokemon that had overcome its natural weakness to such an extent that it would feel _comfortable_ surrounded by it.

And then they all did double-takes as they watched the Infernape shrink down into a Floatzel and drag Ash under the water.

And then their jaws dropped as Ash Ketchum rose out of the water upon the head of a Gyarados before falling comfortably onto the back of a Tropius, which glided down onto the deck.

"Alright, Ditto, you've had your fun. Lets go dry off now," Ash chuckled as Pikachu jumped out of his little inner tube and onto Ash.

The Tropius nodded, nuzzling Ash with his head before seamlessly shifting back to a pink blob-like Pokemon - one most of the spectators recgonized as a Ditto.

Ash walked over to a beach chair that was near the balcony and grabbed two towels from off of it, handing one to Pikachu and using the other one to dry himself off.

Ditto just transformed into a Slugma.

Suddenly, a single, slow clap rang out from behind the crowd. Curious, everyone turned and looked over the side of the boat, where a lone man was standing atop a Gyarados.

"Radical!" The man called out, leaping off of the water-type and onto the boat, before pulling out a Pokeball and recalling the beast.

"Hey," Ash called, "Who're you? I don't think I've seen you on the cruise," he asked.

The man laughed, running a hand through his hair before sneering.

"Oh, aren't you a bright one? I just hopped off of a Gyarados onto the boat. Do you _really_ think I've been on this boat the whole time?"

Ash shrugged.

"I don't know, I mean, I've done that like eight times this week. I didn't know if you had wanted to try it or something," He explained.

The man did a double-take before pulling some oddly-shaped sunglasses out from his vest pocket and slipping them into his hair.

"...Right. Anyway, I'm Guzma, and I just wanted to wish you dudes a friendly aloha from Alola." Guzma smiled pleasantly at the passengers before cocking his head suddenly and snapping.

"Right! Oh, sorry dudes, I _totally_ forgot," Guzma exclaimed. He threw his hands up and smacked himself on the forehead.

"I'm gonna need all of your Pokemon, so do me a favor and roll your Pokeballs to me, m'kay?"

As others on the boat quivered in terror and slowly started pulling out their Pokeballs, Ash started to laugh. Hard.

"Ha! You," Ash laughed again, trying to regain his composure but failing, "really must not know who _I_ am!" Guzma scowled as the other passengers stopped grabbing their Pokeballs to stare disbelievingly at Ash, who just continued laughing, oblivious to the others' stares.

After a minute, he finally was able to compose himself enough to continue without breaking into laughter.

"Right then. Lets do some introductions, then, shall we? You can go first, Guzma."

Guzma smirked, puffing his chest up. Now was the time to strike fear into the passenger's hearts.

" _I_ ," Guzma started, drawing out the 'I', "Am Guzma, leader of Team Skull! I have stolen thousands of Pokemon from all over Alola, and today... I will add _yours_ to that total!" Guzma exclaimed, pointing at Ash and the passengers dramatically.

Ash just cocked an eyebrow.

"Team Skull? I've never heard of them. Have you, Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking to his starter.

"Chu pikapi," His starter responded, shaking his head. Ash frowned.

"Well, how about you, Golem? Ever heard of Team Skull?" Ash asked, tossing a Pokeball into the air, releasing a very large, very intimidating Golem.

"Gol-Golem," Golem replied, shaking his head in the negative.

"Hmm... Well, what about you, Feraligatr?" Ash tossed another Pokeball upwards, releasing his Fertaligatr who turned and glared at Guzma - who was visibly paling - before shaking his head as well.

"Ursarang? Electivire? Shriftry?" Ash asked, unclipping three Pokeballs and letting them drop.

Again, all his Pokemon shook their heads, so Ash waited a moment, thinking, before snapping his eyes straight up to Guzma and sending the crime lord a feral grin.

"Well... What about you... _Kuyrem?_ " And Ash let one Master Ball fall from the chain around his neck.

 _"I have not heard of this... organization... either,"_ Kuyrem remarked.

"Well, that settles that then. You're a nobody. Regardless, though, I believe it is _my_ turn to introduce myself. I am Ash Ketchum, Champion of six regions, Chosen One of nearly _every_ single damn legendary, Trainer of _Arceus_ , Champion of the Hoopa League... And... _Pokemon Master_. Who are you again?"

The whole ship went silent for a few moments before Guzma coughed nervously.

In the next moment, the criminal had released a Skarmory and was rocketing away from the ship.

* * *

"No... No _gyms?_ " A flabbergasted Ash Ketchum asked to a passenger on the cruise. The two of them had gotten to talking about this new region - Alola, as she called it - and the poor girl had been the unfortunate carrier of bad news for Ash.

She had told him that no, Alola did _not_ have any gyms. Apparently each island had a leader, though, who sort of _acted_ like a Gym Leader, so Ash would at least be able to battle _them_.

And then Ash asked her what had brought her to Kanto.

"Well," she said, "I was here researching the Kantian variants of some Alolan Pokemon."

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Kantian variants... to Alolan Pokemon? What are you talking about? Kanto only has one-hundred and fifty one Pokemon, and they're all unique!" Ash exclaimed.

The researcher smirked.

"Oh yeah?" She challenged, "explain _this_ then!" And with that, she tossed two Pokeballs into the air. Out of one came an normal Exeggutor, and out of the other...

"What in the world is _that?_ " Ash exclaimed, jaw dropped.

"This is Exeggutor's _true_ form!"

"That is _not_ an Exeggutor. Is it an evolution?"

Standing at over _thirty-five feet_ , Ash thought that there was _no way_ that this beast was an Exeggutor. The base and head looked the same, but in between was a neck so long that it reminded Ash of a tree trunk.

Before Ash could reply though, a voice rang out clearly in his head.

 _Surprise_ _, welcome to the seventh region Ash._

'Oh Arceus,' Ash thought, 'This is gonna be interesting.'

* * *

 **XX**

 **The end?**

 **No way!**

 **Those of you who have been here before have probably realized that, whoa, that cruise ship stuff is new!**

 **And you'd be totally right! So, what I've decided to do is continue** _ **this**_ **story, in** _ **this**_ **location... As soon as I get a chance to play through the Alolan games, because, you know, I actually kinda need to know the region and its Pokemon, plot, etc, before I write about it...**

 **Who knows, I may end up writing it as I play though and see where that goes!**

 **But anyways, that's the plan for this! Peace mates!**

* * *

 **XX This is the original AN XX**

* * *

 **So how was it? Good? Bad? Okay? Seriously, tell me, it** _ **is**_ **my first fic, after all.**

 **So yeah! About this chapter:**

 **I was gonna cut it off at the "You're undefeatable" line, but then I was like, naw, that's too serious. Plus, I wanted to make good on the tidbit I snuck into chapter three (four?) about putting in smaller islands like a Contest Hall and a Lab.**

 **Personally, I'm calling the Contest Hall the 'Contest Vahalla', but that's just me. I like the name.**

 **So, this version of the Arceus battle is** _ **sort of**_ **like the original, but I think I prefer this one anyway. It is my belief that unless Arceus was seriously limiting himself, he** _ **could not**_ **be defeated.**

 **Reviews!**  
 **...First off, I just want to say** _ **daaaaaaammmmmn,**_ **you guys work fast. Literally an hour after I posted the story I already had nine new reviews! You guys rock!**

 **The Creator: 1) Naaaawwwwww. 2) I know... 3) You put Zero into a H***** fic? That's cool. I wish you would've said something earlier - I would've slipped a joke in about it. 4) ...Yeah, actually. That was scary accurate of all the ones I've read. Wow. 4.1) I believe all regions were created equally! But off the record, I've always loved Sinnoh. 5) Agreed. I just figured that warping in mountains and shit would be a bit overkill and *cough*** _ **fatal.**_ **6) You know I'm obligated to say Ash's Pokemon would :) 7) 10.8.16: I'd watch for a h*ntai joke slipped in when I edit this fic... :3**

 **.9: Sequel, eh? We'll see... I'm still thinking about it myself. Thanks for the response!**  
 **Guest: Another one for a sequel? Hmm...**  
 **FanficFan920: Sequel? That's three...**  
 **VxArloxV13: Four! And thanks, you flatter me :)**

 **Quagsire12: Oh,** _ **here**_ **we go: you want me to continue this story? Alright... I'm still thinking, so we'll see. And by the way, thanks for the idea about the Arceus fight. If you can't tell, I may have used it.**  
 **Kasp7755: Most of what I want to say I said in that PM, but seriously, thanks for the review. Hopefully this chapter brought the fic back to it's old quality :)**

 **bk42bk42: I'm not gonna lie, your review threw me off a little bit. All the reviews I had gotten before that had all been "Sequel!" or, "Continue!" and then here you are giving me a list of colors. I was seriously confused until I saw that you were reviewing from Chapter Six. Then I laughed at myself... But yeah, I'm fairly certain that you're right.**

 **MegaHeracross214: Nooooo! My worst enemy:** _ **logic**_ **! Lets just pretend that one never happened, 'kay? :)**

 **butterflypuss :|**


	20. Alola Arc: Chapter 1

"So, this is Alola, huh?"

Ash Ketchum stepped off of the cruise ship, stretching his neck a little bit. He glanced over at his shoulder, where Pikachu sat, and he smiled.

"Its pretty warm here, huh Pikachu?" He asked his starter, who nodded.

"Pika!" The electric-type agreed before pointing down at one of the Pokeballs on Ash's belt.

"Huh?" Ash questioned, before looking down at the one Pikachu was gesturing at. "Oh! Yeah, Magmortar probably would like this weather!"

Ash grabbed the ball before pressing down on the circle to release the giant fire-type. Magmortar emerged, ready for battle, before he looked around a little bit.

"Mortar?" He questioned, looking at Ash.

"Pikachu thought you'd like the weather here," Ash explained before exhaling loudly.

"Whew, it is really hot here, isn't it? I may need some new clothes..." Ash trailed off, looking down at his vest and jeans.

"Woo! Is that a Magmortar?" A voice called out, startling Ash. He looked up to see a shirtless man in a lab coat. He wore a white hat and glasses, and had a broad smile on his face.

"Does it know Fire Blast, yeah?" The man followed up.

Ash nodded.

"Yeah, he sure does!" He confirmed.

"Thats amazing!" He grinned largely at Ash before snapping his fingers, seemingly remembering something.

"Oh, I totally forgot! I'm Professor Kukui, yeah, and I study Pokemon moves here on Alola!" He said, holding his hand out for Ash to shake.

Ash grinned, taking the hand and returning the handshake.

"Nice to meet'cha! I'm Ash Ketchum, from Kanto!"

Kukui's eyes widened.

"You're Ash Ketchum, yeah? As in, Hoopa League Ash Ketchum?" Ash nodded.

"Yep, thats me!"

Professor Kukui nodded, but his eyes were shut and he was clearly thinking about something else. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked directly at Ash with a seriousness that wasn't present before then.

"Well, Ash, can I ask you a favor?"

Ash looked at Pikachu, a bit unnerved at the change in attitude, but when Pikachu shrugged at him he nodded.

"Sure, what do you need?" He asked.

"So you know how you started a League? Well, here in Alola, we don't have one, yeah?" Kukui started. Ash nodded, confirming that he was following the professor before Kukui continued.

"Well, I was thinking - its about time that Alola has a League too, yeah, so I figured, why don't I make one? We certainly have trainers that are powerful enough, yeah - One of the Kahuna's grandson - Hau - and a promising trainer named Sun who just moved here this morning, yeah, not even mentioning the Kahunas and Captains..." He explained.

"Anyway, we have the manpower, we just have never set up a League. Once our children finish the island challenge, they usually go to Kanto, yeah, where they start a more traditional journey - Gym Leaders and Pokemon League Tournaments. I think its time that we Alolans show the rest of the world that we're no pushovers, yeah!" Kukui finished, pumping his fist.

"So, what'dya say? Will you help me?" Kukui asked.

Ash didn't even think two seconds before nodding.

"Of course!" He responded. Kukui grinned hugely, before jumping up and pumping his fist again.

"And, yeah, I totally have a reward for you! Follow me!" Kukui dashed off across the beach towards a tattered-looking house. Ash glanced at Pikachu before smiling and running after the good-natured professor, Magmortar at his heels.

As Ash recalled Magmortar and entered the house, it quickly became apparent that he was incorrect about the building being a house.

"Welcome to my lab!" Professor Kukui exclaimed, "So about that award. You know how regional professors give out starter Pokemon each year?"

When Ash nodded he continued.

"Well, whenever a starter Pokemon _isn't_ given away, the regional professor generally trains it themselves. Over the years, I've amassed a rather large collection of these Pokemon. So your reward is... A complete set of three fully-evolved Alolan Starters!"

Ash's jaw dropped. He had been expecting a baby starter, not a full set of well-trained Pokemon!"

While Ash stared at the Professor, Kukui opened a glass display case and removed three Pokeballs.

"Well Ash, they're all yours! All I ask is that you contact Mr. Goodsho for me soon."

"Y-yeah, I can do that now if you want?" Ash mumbled, looking down at the three Pokeballs in his hand.

Professor Kukui grinned.

"If you can, yeah, do it!" Kukui exclaimed.

Ash shook himself out of his funk and smiled back.

"Alright, I'll do it now!"

Ash grabbed a Master Ball from his belt and tossed it into the air.

"Mewtwo, can you teleport Professor Kukui and I back to my video phone in the Hoopa League?"

 _"Sure thing, Ash."_

The next thing the two knew, they were standing on the side of one of Ash's training fields, next to the video phone. Before long, Ash had dialed in Goodsho's number and was patiently waiting for the president of the Pokemon League to answer the phone.

"Hello?" Came Goodsho's voice after a few rings.

"Hey President Goodsho! This is Ash Ketchum," Ash started. Suddenly, the black screen clicked to life and displayed the Santa Claus-esque face of President Goodsho.

"Ash, m'boy! How are you?" Goodshow asked, smiling.

"I'm doing quite well, how about yourself?" Ash responded, returning the smile.

"Life is good, than-" Goodsho cut himself off, "Sorry, but did I just see a Fire Blast fly through the background?"

Ash turned around.

Sure enough, standing by his Entei was an ecstatic Professor Kukui, who, after noticing that Ash was looking at him, smiled and pumped a fist.

"...Yeah, that was a Fire Blast. Sorry about that. Anyways, I'm calling on behalf of Alola's regional professor - Professor Kukui. He wanted to get in contact with you about the formation of an Alolan Pokemon League."

President Goodsho nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"I see. Does he have people in mind for an Elite Four? What about the Champion? And where would he put the League? There needs to be enough room for several stadiums, a village, and the main League itself you know," President Goodsho explained.

Ash shrugged.

"I'm not sure... I'll call hi-"

"I have an Elite Four already planned out. Alola already has captains, yeah, so I figured I'd take the most powerful of them and turn them into our Elite. As for the Champion... Well, I'm not completely sure, but I have my eye on this young trainer - Sun is his name - who I'd say could turn out to be like Gold or even Red, yeah?"

Professor Kukui stopped to take a breath.

"As for location, well, I was thinking that Mount Lanakila would be the best spot. Highest peak in Alola, yeah, and I already own it - it used to be the trial site for the Sky Trial back before our Flying-type captain left to go tour the world, train, and play golf. When she left she gave the deed to me, yeah, so I can do whatever I want there!" Kukui explained.

Goodsho nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully. After a few minutes of hopeful silence, Goodsho suddenly nodded.

"Alright. You may build your League there, Professor.

Two jaws dropped.

"No way!" Ash gasped.

"Really?" Professor Kukui exclaimed, "Thats amazing, yeah! I'll get right to work on the League! Thank you so much, yeah, President Goodsho!"

"You're quite welcome," Goodshow smiled, before clicking off the call.

Professor Kukui turned to Ash.

"And thank _you_ , yeah, for calling on my behalf. He never did give me his number..." Professor Kukui trailed off.

Ash grinned.

"Of course! I can't wait to see the League - if there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to call! I'll be around Alola for a while," Ash offered.

Kukui smiled and nodded.

"I may take you up on that, yeah, your Pokemon could potentially be a huge help to us. Can you warp us back now? I bet Lillie is wondering where I am, and I have to feed Rockruff, and I have..." He trailed off, clearly lost in thought.

"Mewtwo, if you would, please?" Ash requested, and the next thing he knew he was standing on the beach outside Professor Kukui's lab.

"W-What was that?" Someone shrieked behind them.

Ash quickly turned around, startled by the loud noise, and came face-to-face with a girl a few years younger than him.

"Oh, sorry about that. I had one of my Pokemon teleport the two of us here. We didn't mean to startle you," Ash explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"T-thats okay, I guess..." The girl responded, clutching her bag. She looked past Ash for a second before she smiled.

"Hey Professor! I fed Rockruff!" She announced brightly.

"Thanks Lillie! I meant to do it myself, yeah, but then something else came up." The Professor said.

"Its no problem! What came up?" Lillie asked.

The professor winked at her.

"Its a surprise, yeah, but you'll find out sometime soon!" He turned to Ash. "So don't you go telling anyone either, yeah?"

Ash smiled and nodded.

"Hey Professor, I'm going to go look at the Ruins of Conflict, okay? I'll be back soon!"

Ash looked over, eyebrows raised.

"Ruins of Conflict? What's that?" He asked Lillie.

"Oh, its a just some old ruins... Theres not much there." Lillie answered, suddenly looking at her bag. Before Ash could press further, though, she quickly added, "I'll see you later, professor!" before dashing off.

Ash looked at Professor Kukui and raised an eyebrow in question.

"What is her problem?" He asked. Kukui smiled.

"The Ruins of Conflict are right past Iki Town, yeah? Head up there and ask her yourself."

* * *

Ash walked through the wide forest trail that started north of Iki Town in amazement. Just by looking around, he could see so many Pokemon that he had never seen before! Pikachu was in amazement too. His starter had his head on a swivel, taking in everything he could. Occasionally he'd let out a little squeak or a "Pika!" when he saw something he especially found interesting.

Ash's thoughts were promptly cut short by Pikachu calling out to him loudly.

"Chu-Pika!" His starter warned, and Ash barely had time to duck before a large parrot-like Pokemon swooped over his head.

"Whoa! I think I found my first capture!" Ash exclaimed. "I like this one's spunk!"

Pikachu grinned, ready to take down the Pokemon, but Ash held him back.

"Lets let one of our new Pokemon take this one!" Ash said, grabbing a Pokeball.

"I choose you!" He said, tossing the Pokeball onto the dirt.

It popped open to reveal the grass-type starter, who shook his wings out before rotating his head around to look at Ash.

"Hold on a second, let me scan that Pokemon." Ash told his new Pokemon before pulling out his Pokedex and pointing it at the flying-type.

 **Toucannon, the Cannon Pokemon**

 **When it battles, its beak heats up. The temperature can easily exceed 212 degrees Fahrenheit, causing severe burns when it hits. Within its beak, its internal gas ignites, explosively launching seeds with enough power to pulverize boulders.**

And then he pointed the Dex at his own Pokemon.

 **Decidueye, the Arrow Quill Pokemon**

 **Decidueye is able to move about while completely hiding its presence from others. Once its opponent has lost sight of it, Decidueye seizes the chance to attack. It can pluck an arrow quill from within its wing and fire it in less that a tenth of a second. However, when Decidueye is caught by surprise, it is seized by panic.**

"Huh. Lets not surprise you then, huh?" Ash said. "Use Leaf Blade!"

Decidueye shot forward, wing glowing before he reared back and slammed it into Toucannon with a powerful thrust.

Toucannon was quick to retaliate though, sending a powerful Air Cutter flying towards Decidueye.

"Strafe left!" Ash yelled. Decidueye complied, flapping his wings quickly and darting to the left. Some of the Air Cutter still caught the grass-type, though, leaving him a little worse for wear.

And then the Toucannon squawked into the air.

And then another Toucannon descended from the sky.

Ash blinked.

"Well shi-"

"Du-eye!" Decidueye cried out as it was simotaneously struck with two streams of Bullet Seeds.

"Ah! Decidueye, return!" Ash called, whipping out the starter's Pokeball.

He thought for a second about who to release.

He contemplated letting Pikachu loose, but ultimately deemed it overkill.

But... These Toucannon knew Bullet Seed.

Flying-types that knew Bullet Seed...

"Braviary! I choose you! Bullet Seed!"

Ash's patriotic flying-type erupted from his Pokeball, trumpeting his name before letting loose a barrage of black seeds from both wings at the two Toucannon.

The attack immediately downed the weakened Toucannon, leaving Ash with only one to focus on.

"Braviary! Use Giga Impact!"

Braviary's body suddenly erupted with red, white, and blue energy before the avaian carreened towards Toucannon and slammed into it.

Knowing that the stupidly-overpowered attack was more than enough to knock out the Toucannon, Ash didn't even wait for confirmation that it was downed before he lobbed a Pokeball at it.

* * *

As Ash continued walking, the trees started to thin and he came to the bottom of a great, winding hill. Shrugging, he shifted Pikachu around on his shoulder and started walking. Someone had been nice enough to outfit the hill with giant wooden planks in the place of stairs, which made the trek up the sizable hill fairly easy.

Besides, Ash had hiked up mountains before. A little hill wasn't gonna wind him.

Once Ash reached the top, he was met with a breathtaking sight.

A lone, rickety bridge spanned across a massive, deep ravine. To Ash's left he could see a towering waterfall, and to his right he could see the water meeting the ocean.

And then Ash saw Lillie, who was frantically shouting out to a hunched figure on the bridge.

And then Ash saw the Spearow that were attacking the boy hunched over the Pokemon.

And _then_ , Ash saw the tiny, blue, gaseous Pokemon that the boy was protecting erupt with blue energy, driving away the Spearow but shattering the bridge below the pair, dooming the two to a potentially fatal fall.

Ash watched in horror for a fraction of a second before reacting, unclipping a Pokeball from his belt.

"Alakazam! Psychic - Save those two!"

Alakazam nodded briskly and crossed his spoons, but before his attack could reach the two, Ash watched in amazement as a golden Pokemon swooped out from across the bridge and catch the falling pair.

"Alakazam," Ash commanded, "Cancel the attack but be ready in case that Pokemon drops them."

"Kazam!" Alakazam agreed and uncrossed his spoons.

As it would turn out, though, the Pokemon brought the duo safely back to their side of the cliff before dropping the two softly on the ground. The Pokemon then opened it's yellow mask-like exterior to reveal a thin, orange body with a head that housed a full plume of hair.

The Pokemon looked at Ash, then Pikachu, then roared loudly at the two before soaring back to its side of the ravine. Ash looked at Pikachu and grinned before the duo sobered up and turned towards the pair of trainers and the Pokemon.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash leaned over and placed a hand on the shoulder of the boy, who had his hands on his knees and was breathing heavily.

The kid took a moment to collect himself before nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but that was a bit intense," The boy explained before standing up and stretching out.

"Is that an Alakazam?" The boy suddenly asked.

Ash smiled and nodded.

"Yep!" Ash confirmed.

"That's awesome! They had a lot of those back in Kanto... Thats where I'm from, by the way." The boy explained before blinking.

"Oh! Where are my manners! The name is Sun!" Sun introduced, extending a hand for Ash to shake.

"I take it you're from Kanto too? Judging by the Pikachu and Alakazam." Sun asked.

"You know it! I'm actually from Pallet Town." Ash replied. "Where are you from?"

"Saffron!" Sun answered. "I just moved here the other day."

Ash laughed.

"Perfect! So we're both new to Alola then!"

Sun grinned and nodded.

"Yeah! Just out of curiosity, by the way, what Pokemon did you choose for your starter?" Sun asked.

Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his hair before gesturing to Pikachu with his head.

"I actually started with Pikachu here... You see, I overslept, and by the time I got to Professor Oak's lab, all the other starters were already taken by other trainers." Ash explained. "Though, that turned out to be a really good thing," Ash added, rubbing Pikachu's head.

The electric-type allowed a satisfied "chaa" and nuzzled his head against Ash's hand.

Sun smiled.

"Thats awesome! I started out with Rowlett here," Sun told Ash, grabbing a Pokeball from his backpack and pressing the button. The Pokeball released a tiny, spherical tan owl with large eyes and a leaf bow tie.

The Rowlett cocked his head - a full ninety degrees, mind you - and stared unblinkingly at Ash, who was unfazed by the act.

Ash reached over and took Rowlett from Sun's arms and held him above his head.

"My Arceus, Sun, this guy is _adorable_!"

Sun chuckled. "Careful! He has a lot of power for just a tiny 'Mon, and I hear his final evolution - Decidueye - is a powerhouse!" Sun exclaimed.

Ash did a double-take.

"This little guy evolves into Decidueye?" Ash asked, then thought a moment before answering his own question.

"Wait, nevermind. Duh!" Ash exclaimed, "Kukui told me that Decidueye was the final evolution of the Alolan grass starter. Rowlett," Ash addressed the tiny Pokemon, "Do you wanna see what you can become?"

In response, Rowlett bounced happily in Ash's arms.

Ash laughed and moved Rowlett to be perching on Ash's hat.

"Okay little guy, check this out!" Ash smiled, unclipping a Pokeball from his belt and releasing Decidueye onto the cliffside.

"Dueye?" Decidueye queried, looking around for an opponent for a bit before its eyes landed on Rowlett. Without warning, Decidueye darted up to Ash's head, snatched Rowlett up, and placed him on his own hooded head, much to the enjoyment of the little Pokemon.

Suddenly, the blue Pokemon that Lillie was holding decided that it wanted to be a part of the fun too.

"Mog! Cosmog!" The Pokemon cried out before struggling to break free of Lillie's hold and join the other Pokemon.

"W-Whoa! Cosmog, calm down!" Lillie exclaimed, tightening her grip on the Pokemon.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three trainers, a lone blonde figure stood high above them in the treetops.

"Cosmog..." The woman muttered. "I've finally found you again."

* * *

"Pokemon!" Ash called out awkwardly into the empty cavern, not sure of what to expect.

"I challenge you to a battle!" He yelled, looking around. There wasn't much in the cavern, just a raised, wooden platform with a stone statue. Shrugging, Ash walked up the stairs to the platform, Pikachu confidently riding on his shoulder.

He got to the top and looked around from the higher ground to see if he had missed anything, but he couldn't see anything he hadn't already noticed.

"Well shoot, Pikachu, I guess this is a dead end," Ash sighed, sitting down with his back against the statue. "Its a shame, too. I really was looking forward to a battle."

 _"Then you'll get one, Chosen One."_

Ash smiled, not even looking towards the voice that came from behind him.

"Legendary?" Ash calmly asked, still looking straight forwards.

 _"Guardian,"_ The Pokemon retorted.

"That sounds swell. Well!" Ash finally stood up and turned around, clapping his hands once, "Shall we get on with the battle?"

The Pokemon responded by unleashing a massive squawk, electricity flooding out of its body and covering the battlefield.

"Electric?" Ash asked to himself. "Gotcha! Rhyperior, you're up!"

Rhyperior burst from his Pokeball with a roar that shook the heavens before turning to face the Guardian Pokemon.

"Rock Blast!" Ash yelled, thrusting a finger forwards.

Rhyperior was only too happy to comply, sending a barrage of stones flying at the Pokemon. The attack connected, sending the Guardian back a few yards through the air.

"Keep it up!" Ash cheered, "Occupy him for a bit - I'm gonna scan him with my Pokedex!"

With that preface, Ash pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at the battle.

 **Rhyperior, the Drill Pokemon.**

 **Rhyperior fires Geodude from the holes in its palms forcibly at opponents who wander into its territory -**

"Wha...?" Ash stuttered. "No! Scan the other Pokemon, Dexter!" Ash cried.

 **Tapu Koko, the Land Spirit Pokemon.**

 **Known as the guardian spirit of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko fiercely protects its home. However, Tapu Koko is said to be a suprisingly fickle Pokemon, and will not necessarily come to one's aid. Angering it is often the last mistake people will make; however, Tapu Koko often forgets what made it angry an instant later. Despite this, though, Tapu Koko is immensely curious. If it becomes interested in a person or battle, it will often intervene and play. Tapu Koko is said to have the ability to summon thunderclouds and store their lightning inside of its body.**

 **This Pokemon is a Legendary Pokemon!**

"Tapu Koko..." Ash said thoughtfully, trying out the name.

"Okay, Rhyperior, Stone Edge!" Ash commanded, getting back into the battle. Rhyperior quickly complied, summoning jagged rocks from the ground under Tapu Koko. However, the Land Spirit Pokemon was quick to counter, shattering the rocks with a well-placed Steel Wing before nailing Rhyperior with a Grass Knot, dealing heavy damage to the Rhyperior.

"Rhyperior, are you okay?" Ash asked his prideful Pokemon, already knowing that he would get back up and continue fighting. Sure enough, Rhyperior got back on his feet and unleashed the fastest Rock Wrecker Ash had ever seen, scoring a direct hit on Tapu Koko.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Good job!" Ash cheered. "Now, lets tap into your elemental moves! Fire Blast!"

A groan from Rhyperior reminded Ash about the move's cool-down.

And it also alerted Tapu Koko to the cool-down too, as the Guardian Pokemon lit its wings up with metallic energy before charging at Rhyperior.

"No! Rhyperior, Self-Destruct!" Rhyperior's arms began glowing with the white energy, and Tapu Koko swerved up to avoid the deadly attack.

Only to be nailed by the Hyper Beam that Rhyperior had been charging up.

The powerful attack was more than enough to knock out the unsuspecting Land Spirit, and Ash wasted no time in chucking a Pokeball at the downed Tapu.

"Good job, Rhyperior" Ash praised, "We really got him with that one! We'll have to remember that that trick works."

Without warning, Tapu Koko popped out of the Pokeball in Ash's hands.

 _"I'll go back into that Pokeball in a second, but before I do, I would like to know how you pulled that off."_ Tapu Koko said.

"Well," Ash started, "It was actually pretty easy. When I was training my Pokemon a few months back, I noticed that the build-up for some moves looks similar to the build-up for others. Self-Destruct and Hyper Beam is probably the closest outside of the "Thunder" moves.

So later that day I told my Pokemon that if I ever called for a Self-Destruct, I wanted them to start charging a Hyper Beam instead. Rhyperior remembered.

 _"Huh, thats actually pretty clever. I'm looking forward to your training, Chosen One."_

* * *

 **Well, welcome to Alola!**

 **I honestly can say that Sun & Moon are my favorite games in this franchise. Everything about them is just... **_**perfect!**_  
 **That may be an overstatement but** _ **damn!**_ **They're so** _ **gooooood**_ **.**

 **Anywho, welcome, again, to Alola!**

 **Its so good to be back! Man, I missed this story. As a matter of fact, I missed this story so much that I've spent the last few months revising every chapter. The new Hoopa League, whenever I decide to finish up revisions and post the darn thing, includes** _ **every**_ **battle, new gimmicks for said battles, a few new story-lines here and there, an Alolan Exeggutor once or twice, and just general improvements, especially to the earlier chapters where I truly had no clue what the hell I was doing :)**

 **So look forward to that!**  
 **Anywho, reviews! I'm just gonna respond to every review that I got** _ **after**_ **May 15th, which is when the last chapter went up.**

* * *

 _ **AgitatedDog9288 (May 16th):**_ **I figure you've probably caught up with the rest of the story now, yeah? Thanks you, by the way, for the compliment! I smile every time I read one of those. And Ashes of the Past is still my favorite Pokemon fic on this website hands down.**

 _ **TheGamingPyro (May 18th):**_ **I want my damn cookie. Peanut Butter, if you don't mind :)**

 _ **Tatsumi08 (June 5th):**_ **Yeah, I missed a few on that list. Sorry mate!**

 _ **aoin88 (June 13th):**_ **Thank you so, so much! And here is the sequel! Sorta. I just kinda continued here. But whatever, same thing right?**

 _ **idotpart1 (September 3rd):**_ **I try to be funny on occasion :)**  
 **Was there any specific part, by the way, that you found funny?**

 _ **Dragonbonded (October 3rd):**_ **Man, I love the praise. I read your review the second my email dinged with it, smiled then, and here I am two months later reading the same review and smiling** _ **again!**_ **I can't say much else other than** _ **thanks**_ **. :D**

 _ **THE CREATOR: (October 28th):**_ **I missed this too :(**

 **Theres one more thing that I want to address, and its how much I fucking love you guys. Its the craziest thing ever. I have yet to receive** _ **one**_ **mean review.** _ **ONE!**_ **Do you realize that as I'm writing this, I have 166 reviews? And not** _ **one**_ **of them is mean! That's** _ **insane!**_ **You guys are absolutely fucking awesome, and I just want to say a massive** _ **THANKS.**_

* * *

 **Merry Christmas!**

* * *

 **This was in my notes for the chapter, specifically the part where Ash battled the Toucannon.**

And then Toucannon turned its beak to the sky and let out a mighty squack, and before Ash's very eyes another Toucannon descended upon the battlefield.

"Oh no!" Ash shouted, "I can deal with one Toucannon, but TouToucannon? _Nooooooo!"_

 **I figured you guys would enjoy that**


	21. Alola Arc: Chapter 2

It was approximately thirty two hours after Ash arrived in Alola that he was called back to the Hoopa League.

He had a challenger.

When Ash got the call, he was in the middle of a fun day at the beach with his team. Blastoise was repeatedly launching a very happy Pikachu high into the air with Hydro Pumps, Krokodile, Steelix, and Sandslash were digging a network of trenches for the other Pokemon to play games in, and Ash was waist-deep in water with the other fifteen Pokemon he had on him at the moment.

Carrying limit didn't mean much to him.

However, Ash didn't feel much like taking on the challenger.

And so he turned to his trusty Ditto, who was currently masquerading as a Wailord, much to the amusement of Ash and his other Pokemon.

"Hey, Ditto? Can I ask a favor?" Ash called over. Ditto turned his massive head towards him before shrinking down into a Surskit and gliding across the water towards him. When Ditto was close enough, Ash continued.

"Well, the Hoopa League has a challenger - not sure who - but I really don't feel like taking the challenge because we just got to Alola yesterday and I kinda want to stay here for a bit. So is there any way that you could transform into me and use a few of the Pokemon that are back home to take him on?"

Ditto looked him oddly for a moment before smiling widely, an expression that looked extremely out of place on a Surskit, before nodding quickly.

"Thanks, buddy, you're the greatest," Ash praised before sending a mental request to Mewtwo to teleport Ditto back to the League.

 _Are you sure about that?_ Mewtwo asked carefully.

'Yeah, sure!' Ash thought back, 'Its not like he can do anything _that_ bad.'

 _If you say so..._ Mewtwo conceded.

A second later, Ditto disappeared, and Ash went back to playing with his Pokemon.

* * *

"Holy _shit_ ," Ash gasped. He had been using his Lanturn to battle what his Pokedex called a Wishiwashi - a tiny little blue and white fish-like Pokemon. Only, Wishiwashi wasn't so tiny any more. In the blink of an eye, Ash found himself staring into the massive maw of a giant white-on-blue version of the tiny Pokemon.

"Well, Lanturn," Ash started, "This just got a _bit_ more interesting."

* * *

 _'Oh Arceus,'_ Mewtwo thought in awe, _'Ash's Ditto is worse than Ash is!'_

The challenger - who turned out to the Black, a former champion of Unova - looked like he was on his last nerve with "Ash". It was pretty understandable, too, as to why the young man looked so royally pissed.

Black had released Musharna.

Ditto had released Hypno.

Black had sent out Braviary.

...So had Ditto. May Arceus help Black.

Black had unleashed Emboar.

Ditto had unleashed Charizard.

Black had released Galvantula.

Ditto had released Beedrill.

Black had released Carracosta.

Ditto had released Archeops.

And, finally, Black played his trump card.

Black released Reshiram.

And Ditto, who had evidently spent _way_ too much time with his trainer, released Zekrom.

Mewtwo very much felt like slamming his head onto something hard repeatedly.

* * *

"Okay, I think I got it, but just to be clear: there are no Gym Leaders here, but there are people like you, called Kahunas?" Ash asked the large man.

The large man grinned.

"Correct! Though, I would equate us Kahunas to the Elite Four, and the Trial Captains are more like your Gym Leaders," The man explained, then grabbed a Pokeball off of his belt.

"So, are you ready to battle me?" The man challenged.

"I'm always up for a battle!" Ash retorted.

The man laughed jovially.

"I'm glad to hear it! Then I, Kahuna Hala, accept your challenge!"

Hala paused for a moment.

"Normally, I'd have you complete Illima's trial first, but I think I'll make an exception here. I'm coming at you with everything I've got! Go, Hariyama!"

"Primarina, I choose you!"

The two Pokemon emerged from their Pokeballs. Hariyama slapped its large hands together loudly while Primarina let out a melodious cry.

"Fake Out!" Hala shouted, beginning the battle.

"Reflect!" Ash countered. Hariyama darted forward with startling speed, but the physical barrier that Reflect provided proved to be too much for Hariyama's attack.

"Now blast him away with Dazzling Gleam!" The super-effective move smashed into Hariyama, sending him flying across the raised platform they were fighting on.

Hala grit his teeth. "Hariyama, return! Bewear, Hammer Arm!"

In the place of Hariyama came a large, fluffy Pokemon.

The large, fluffy Pokemon proceeded to send Primarina flying into the woods with one attack.

Ash watched his new water-type fly across the sky in awe.

'Wow. I really need one of those,' He thought to himself.

Ash ran over to where Primarina had landed, unconscious.

"Primarina, you did great! Return now, and get some rest."

* * *

After returning to the battlefield, Ash grabbed his second Pokeball.

"Bisharp, I choose you!" Ash proclaimed, "Use Slash!" Bisharp lunged across the platform, scythes gleaming before smashing them into the fighting-type.

"Hammer Arm again!" Hala yelled, thrusting a fist towards Bisharp. Bewear recovered from the dual Slash attack quickly and swung at Bisharp with a large arm, but Bisharp was quicker.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded, and Bisharp rolled deftly to the left before leaping up again to avoid Beware's secondary swing at its deft opponent.

"Retaliate with Aeiral A-" Ash stopped.

"What is _that_?!" He demanded, staring wide-eyed at the portal that had just opened behind Hala.

"What is - no!" Hala turned around, confused; that is until he saw what had captured Ash's attention.

"I didn't think those existed!" Hala shouted in disbelief.

"Stop playing the pronoun game! What exactly am I looking at?" Ash demanded, grabbing another Pokeball from his belt and priming it.

"That's a -"

And Hala was gone, leaving a rather bewildered Ash and a frantic Bewear. Bisharp just stood there waiting for Bewear to attack again.

Suddenly, the air flickered around where the portal was still open, and what Ash could quite safely call the weirdest Pokemon he had ever seen took Hala's place.

A large, red Pokemon that looked to be a cross between a Machoke and a mosquito was flexing in the space where Hala had previously stood.

Without hesitation, Ash whipped out Dexter to obtain information about the new Pokemon that had quite potentially kidnapped Hala.

Dexter, though, proved to be no help when he chimed:

 **"Pokemon unknown. No data available!"**

Thanks, Dexter.

Sighing, Ash slipped the Pokedex back into his pocket and signalled for Bisharp to get ready to attack.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and call that a Bug/Fighting type," Ash said, mostly to himself.

"So Bisharp, use Aerial Ace!"

His valiant steel-type surged forward, rearing his scythes back for the super-effective attack, and swung with all his might.

And was promptly smashed through the wooden platform for his efforts.

Ash's jaw dropped as he recalled his clearly knocked-out Pokemon.

He looked down at his belt to grab another Pokeball and so was caught completely unaware when he was suddenly hoisted into the air by the neck. Ash looked down at his attacker - which turned out to be the strange Pokemon - before meeting the same fate as his steel type.

Ash managed to stay conscious long enough to witness two things. Firstly, the Pokemon grabbed Beware and flung it through the portal.

Secondly, the monster reached into his backpack, grabbed his wallet, and extracted a thousand Poke before turning around and disappearing, the portal vanishing with it.

* * *

When Ash came to, he was met with a two concerned faces staring down at him. The first was the boy he had met earlier - Sun - and the other was his Celebi.

"Oh, thank Arceus - you're awake!" Sun sighed, clearly relieved, "I saw the whole battle, and the hit you took. I didn't know if you were gonna make it... though, to be honest, when your Celebi came out of its ball I relaxed a bit. She's a powerful healer." Sun explained, before glancing over his shoulder.

"Hal, he's awake!"

Suddenly, Ash found himself being interrogated by a kid Sun's age with green hair.

"Are you okay?"

"Where is grandpa?"

"What was that Pokemon that came from the portal - I've never seen anything like it!"

"Where did you capture a Celebi?"

Ash held up a hand to slow down the onslaught, a tactic that worked on a now-sheepish Hal.

"Sorry... I don't understand what I just saw." Hal explained.

Ash smiled at the trainer before putting his hand down and taking a breath.

"Alright. So, yes, I am completely fine - Celebi here saw to that. I am not sure where your grandpa is, but am I right in assuming that your grandpa is Kahuna Hala?" Ash started.

When Hal nodded his confirmation, he continued.

"Gotcha. Anyway, I have no clue what Pokemon that was, but I'm assuming it was some kind of Legendary. And as for Celebi, I captured her on Meadow Island, back in my League."

Hal focused in on the last part of Ash's explaination.

"You have your own league?" He asked in awe.

Ash nodded.

"Yeah, its called the Hoopa League! Its a challenge unlike any you'll find in any other region."

"I'm gonna beat it someday!" Hal proclaimed, Sun nodding his approval in the background.

Ash laughed.

"You'll have to train really hard then! We've taken down some serious trainers," Ash told the duo.

"Like who?" Sun asked, curious to know the level that Ash was on.

"All the champions, the Dex-Holders, and some other miscelaneous trainers."

"...You're not serious."

Ash smiled.

"I promise I'm not lying," Ash assured Sun, "Have you ever heard of the Hoopa League?"

Sun scoffed.

"Who hasn't? Its the biggest news since the Unovan Battle Frontier got approved," Sun retorted.

"I'm the champion," Ash informed the boy.

"Well shit." Sun gaped.

No one said anything for a while, but eventually it was Hal that broke the silence.

"So, if your pokemon really took down Arceus, why couldn't they take down that weird Pokemon?" Hal asked, confused.

Ash shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure what went wrong, but to be fair, it took the vast majority of my legendary Pokemon plus Pikachu to take him down," Ash explained.

Hal nodded.

"So what if that Pokemon comes back? It abducted Hala after all; what if it comes back for you?" Sun queried.

Ash laughed just a little bit.

"Well, then I guess I'd better make a few transfers."

* * *

Half an hour saw Ash walk out from a Pokemon center with a necklace half-full of Ultra and Masterballs. If another one of those weird Pokemon attacked him, they were going to be in for quite a shock when a few legendaries were there to retaliate.

Roar of Time could be quite convincing when it wanted to be.

After Hal had actually realized that, oh wait, his grandfather had actually been kidnapped by a strange Pokemon, he dashed out the hut with Sun, Hal proclaiming his desire to get his family back and Sun shouting something about becoming stronger.

Besides the dozen-ish legendary Pokemon Ash had called over from the islands, he had also sent back his recent Alolan captures to train with the rest of his team and made a few other miscellaneous switches to his team before setting out towards the nearest Route.

* * *

"Pikachu, what in the world is _that_?" Ash asked, flabbergasted at the sight before him.

"Pikaa" His starter drawled, just as confused as his trainer.

The Pokemon in front of them looked as if someone had hastily constructed a Pikachu costume out of a sheet before draping it over an actual Pikachu.

Needless to say, it was a fairly unnerving sight for Ash to come across, especially at dusk.

"I _think_ that's a Pokemon," Ash said to Pikachu, "Give it a weak Thundershock to catch its attention."

Pikachu complied and discharged a short burst of electricity from his cheeks. The weak attack hit the strange Pokemon...

And the top half of the costume fell over, useless.

Ash's eyes widened.

"Well, that was terrifying."

And then a dark, hand-like construct emerged from below the sheet and back-handed Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder.

"...And I think I spoke too soon. Pikachu, Thunder!"

The attack was ripped apart by the Hyper Beam that followed.

"Holy..." Ash trailed off, "What _is_ this thing? Volt Tail Pikachu! Hit it while it's recharging!"

Pikachu surged forwards in the combo attack, electricity rippling from his Iron Tail attack as he smashed it into the immobile Pokemon, knocking the rag off of its body.

No one moved, including the... _creature_ that Pikachu's attack unveiled.

"What the _fuck_?!"

* * *

Two hours later, Ash decided to scan his newest capture.

 **Mimikyu, the Disguise Pokemon**

 **Its actual appearance is unknown. A scholar who saw what was under its rag was overwhelmed by terror and died from the shock. It is a lonely Pokemon; concealing its terrifying appearance beneath an old rag so that it can get closer to people and other Pokemon. Mimikyu's unique Disguise ability allows it to take a hit safely without being harmed; though, it becomes sad that after all of its hard work in putting together its costume, it was destroyed. It spends its nights rebuilding its costume.**

Ash felt a pang of sadness for his new teammate. After all, Mimikyu had a fairly depressing Pokedex entry. However, Ash was determined to make Mimikyu comfortable with its appearance outside of the rag it wore.

And so as Ash curled up in his sleeping bag next to Pikachu, he released Mimikyu as well. The confused Pokemon looked around for an opponent before realizing that Ash was patting the sleeping bag next to Pikachu. It hesitated for a moment before happily throwing itself into its indicated spot and promptly fell asleep.

Ash didn't last much longer after that.

* * *

 **Dang it, that was a short one. Don't worry, I have a good reason for it. Aannnnd, if you guys are looking for something else to read, go check out Pokextinction b RNOVACORP. While there is only one chapter, it looks very promising! Go drop some love on those two writers :)**

 **Heyo! Well, this was a longer wait than I had expected for you guys to have to endure, but, well, this chapter fought hard with me, and some sections really didn't come to me at all. For example, I** _ **really**_ **wanted to include a battle between Professor Kukui and Ash, but I just couldn't fit it in. It'll happen eventually, though, I promise! But, yeah, this chapter was a butt to type.**

 **Oh, and there's the fact that I lost a finger a few days after Christmas.**

 **That kinda hampered my ability to type.**

 **...A lot.**

 **But anywho, I finally did it, and I'm slowly learning to type with the impediment.**

 **It sucks.**

 **Anyway, reviews!**

 **idotpart1: Oh haha yeah! I had a ton of fun writing that whole section. I've always thought of what Pikachu would say if he could speak English...**

 **TheSuperMario: Whoa, I'm talking to a celebrity here! Anyways, that sucks man. I personally have both games and they are _so fun_. I'm _still_ exploring everything. And haha thanks for the praise! I appreciate that. However, as much as I hate to say it, I think I'm going to stick with THL for a while simply because writing even one story has become difficult for me. (Finger)**

 **The Creator: Holy Balls, I did! 1) _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
_ 2) Shiver me timbers  
3) Guzma is going to be a bit different from the chill dude he is in game.  
4) Yeah she is!  
5/6) Oh, just you wait. Just you wait.  
7) Thanks, yeah! You just have to keep an upbeat tone, yeah, and throw in ", yeah" every once in a while, yeah? Kukui is easy, yeah.  
8) Okay, if you _insist_ I guess I'll make Ash more OP.  
9) Raped* She's long done with that by now. She is just chillin around the islands right now. We'll check in them sometime soon, yeah?  
10) Naw man my D** **ecidueye would like to disagree with that.  
11) I'm happy to be back, thanks!**

 **Well, that's about it. See you guys next time!**


End file.
